Vision screening of 4 to 5 year olds at school entry

The request was successful.

The College of Optometrists

Dear FOI officer

The British and Irish Orthoptic Society on behalf of the Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning are writing to make an open request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

There is a national recommendation, by the UK National Screening committee, to offer orthoptic-led vision screening to children at aged 4-5 years, mainly to ensure that amblyopia (reduced vision), is detected and treated at an age where treatment has the potential to improve vision.

Public Health England introduced service specifications for a Vision Screening Service in 2017. We are concerned that a Vision Screening service is currently not being offered to all children aged 4-5 years in England leading to inequality of eye health care provision.

We are aware that the responsibility for commissioning 0 - 5 year children’s public health services has transferred from the NHS to Local Authorities; and that in addition there are to be significant cuts to Local Authority Public Health funding which may affect these services

We would be grateful if you could answer the following questions (for the financial year 2019/2020) to determine the arrangements made by your local authority to commission vision screening for your eligible resident population and it’s quality assurance.

We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Olivier Denève
Secretary to the Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning

Questions

1. Do you currently commission vision screening in school of children aged 4-5 years old? Y / N

If YES, would you please:

2. List the key features of your commissioned screening service:

a. Settings (e.g. school).
b. Screening personnel (e.g. orthoptist, school nurse or other health professional).
c. The onward care pathway for children who fail the vision screening.
d. The quality assurance (QA) processes (audit) and identified clinical lead for the vision screening service

3. Tell us how you monitor if every child in your Local Authority has been tested (including those in private schools or those who are home-schooled).

4. Tell us whether the programme will be commissioned again in the next financial year

5. If NO- you do not currently commission a vision screening service in your area, would you please tell us :

a. why you do not commission vision screening?
b. whether a service is planned for the next financial year (2020/21)?
c. whether an existing service in your area has been recently decommissioned?

North Yorkshire Council

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cypsfoi, North Yorkshire Council

Dear Mr Deneve

 

Thank you for your request for information dated 17 June.  Please see our
response below.

 

Questions

 

1.    Do you currently commission vision screening in school of children
aged 4-5 years old?        Y

 

If YES, would you please:

 

2.    List the key features of your commissioned screening service:

 

a.                Settings (e.g. school).

School

b.                Screening personnel (e.g. orthoptist, school nurse or
other health professional).

School Nursing Service

c.                The onward care pathway for children who fail the vision
screening.

Care pathway - referral to Harrogate District Foundation Trust
Ophthalmology

d.                The quality assurance (QA) processes (audit) and
identified clinical lead for the vision screening service

Named Harrogate District Foundation Trust Optometrist -  Clinical Lead

 

3.    Tell us how you monitor if every child in your Local Authority has
been tested (including those in private schools or those who are
home-schooled).

The performance is monitored quarterly through the healthy child programme
framework.  We do not monitor those children attending private schools or
who are home schooled.

 

4.    Tell us whether the programme will be commissioned again in the next
financial year

      Yes

 

5.    If NO- you do not currently commission a vision screening service in
your area, would you please tell us :

 

a.    why you do not commission vision screening?

b.    whether a service is planned for the next financial year (2020/21)?

c.    whether an existing service in your area has been recently
decommissioned?

 

Regards

 

_______________________________________

Deborah Wilbor, Leadership Support Officer

on behalf of cypsfoi

 

North Yorkshire County Council, County Hall, Northallerton, DL7 8AE

 

 

 

 

 

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