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Introduction 4
4. Early reach 22
5. Independence 24
6. Inclusive society 31
Appendix A: References 38
Local data
The information presented in this report is at UK level. For some indicators data from
specific countries has been used if the information was not available elsewhere. Details
of the geographical coverage of each indicator can be found in Appendix B.
We also publish a sight loss data tool which provides data by region and local authority
area in England. For a copy of this resource please visit www.rnib.org.uk/datatool
Later this year RNIB will be publishing sight loss data tools for Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland in order to provide local data on sight loss for these countries.
Clinical
Sources based on clinical definitions in this report use visual acuity as their measurement.
For example definitions of blindness (severe sight loss) are often described in terms of
a best corrected visual acuity of less than 6/60 (Access Economics, 2009).
Administrative
Sources based on administrative data use information gathered by different services
that have identified people as blind or partially sighted. In some cases these are based
on clinical measures (certification), or on others measures (benefit claimants, recipients
of social care services, etc).
Self-reported
Sources that are based on self-reported definitions are surveys that rely on people with
sight loss to identify themselves. For example, RNIB’s secondary analysis of the Life
Opportunities Survey relies on self-reported sight loss.
Further information
RNIB’s Evidence and Service Impact team works to improve the impact of services.
By talking to customers we understand effective practice and disseminate this to
empower blind and partially sighted people and drive up the quality of services provided.
We work collaboratively with internal and external colleagues to ensure service standards
are documented, understood and implemented. We act as a central knowledge source on
service solutions for blind and partially sighted people, connecting the latest research
to policy, and bringing expertise across the RNIB group of charities together.
• For the latest RNIB research reports and news please visit www.rnib.org.uk/research
Data sources
Information about how commonly the leading causes of sight loss occur has been
taken from the “Future Sight Loss UK 1” report (Access Economics, 2009). The report
provides a picture of the prevalence of sight loss based on a range of evidence. This
takes into account age, gender, ethnicity, level of sight loss and cause of sight loss.
Information about the number of people in the UK has been taken from Census 2011
(ONS, 2012a). Census statistics provide a detailed overview of the UK population and
are the basis for public service funding allocations.
Older age
The older you are, the greater your risk of sight loss (Access Economics, 2009).
According to figures from Census 2011, there are now over 14.2 million people aged
over 60 years in the UK (Indicator 5). One out of every nine people in the UK aged
60 and over is living with sight loss.
The fastest growing age group in the UK is 85 years and over (ONS, 2012b). The
number of people aged 85 and over has more than doubled over the last 25 years, and
by 2035 it is projected to more than double again. Census 2011 indicates that there are
1.4 million in the UK aged in this “oldest old” age group (Indicator 6). One out of
every three people in the UK aged 85 and over is living with sight loss.
Low income
Emerging evidence suggests that people on low incomes are at greater risk of sight loss
as a result of lower uptake of screening, referral and treatment (Johnson et al, 2011).
In 2010/11 there were 13 million people in the UK living in low income after housing
costs (Indicator 7). Low income is defined as someone living in a household with an
income below 60 per cent of the median net disposable income either before or after
housing costs.
Diabetes
People with diabetes are at risk of developing diabetic eye disease. The only national
screening programme related to eye health is focused on retinal screening for people
diagnosed with diabetes (NSC, 2012).
Over 3 million people in the UK are diagnosed as having diabetes (Indicator 8). This
is an underestimate of the true number of people living with diabetes as this figure
only includes people with diagnosed diabetes on GP patient lists and does not include
anyone with undiagnosed diabetes. It is estimated that there are around 850,000
people in the UK who have diabetes but have not been diagnosed (Diabetes UK, 2012).
Learning disabilities
In the UK an estimated one million adults and 410,000 children and young people aged
0–19 have a learning disability. People with a learning disability are much more likely
than the general population to have sight loss. There are an estimated 96,500 blind and
partially sighted people aged 20 and over who also have a learning disability in the UK
(Indicator 10).
10
10 Sight loss UK 2013
Facts and figures
Almost two million people in the UK are living with sight loss:
• 1,564,000 in England
• 99,000 in Wales
• 157,000 in Scotland
• 47,000 in Northern Ireland
Registration by UK country:
• 299,000 in England
• 34,500 in Scotland
• 16,500 in Wales
• 8,200 in Northern Ireland
There are a number of different costs associated with the provision of eye health
services: with inpatient procedures and outpatient appointments and with the ongoing
treatment of eye conditions, including prescriptions and medications. There are also
indirect costs, including the cost of providing informal care to those living with sight
loss, often provided by family or friends.
Data sources
A range of data sources tell us about different elements of expenditure in the NHS.
Data published by the NHS in England, Scotland and Wales provides us with the total
expenditure for eye or vision problems. In England budget data can be broken down
into specific elements of expenditure, for example prescription costs or hospital costs,
which gives us an indication of how expenditure on eye health is allocated.
Direct costs
Healthcare costs
The total expenditure on healthcare linked to eye health in the UK is £2.64 billion
(Indicator 11). This includes expenditure on hospital care such as inpatient admissions
and outpatient appointments; expenditure on providing NHS sight tests for eligible
patients; and expenditure on medications and prescriptions related to the treatment
of the eye.
Expenditure related to eye health is recorded in the official statistics under the “problems
of vision” category. In England it is now possible to break this expenditure down further.
• E£496
xpenditure on primary care services, such as the provision of NHS sight tests, was
million (Indicator 12).
• E(Indicator
xpenditure on providing NHS inpatient ophthalmology procedures was £536 million
13).
• E£677
xpenditure on providing NHS outpatient ophthalmology appointments was
million (Indicator 14).
Indirect costs
The indirect cost of sight loss to the UK economy in 2013 is estimated to be around
£5.3 billion (Indicator 16). This represents an increase of over £200 million on the
indirect costs of sight loss compared to estimates for 2012.
The largest proportion of these indirect costs is linked to the provision of informal care.
In most cases this will be unpaid care or support provided by a family member, friend
or neighbour to someone who is blind or partially sighted. This type of unpaid care will
cost the UK economy around £2.5 billion in 2013. Lower employment rates and the cost
of specialist equipment and modifications are also significant factors in the indirect cost
of sight loss.
Sight is the sense that people fear losing the most (College of Optometrists, 2011).
Sight loss and eye health costs the UK economy at least £8 billion each year. Thousands
of people unnecessarily lose their sight each year (Public Health England, 2013).
Despite these facts, only £2.2 million was spent by the NHS on prevention and public
awareness on eye health in England in 2011/12 (DH, 2013a).
Data sources
All data in this section has been taken from official statistics. Health service data in the
UK is published separately in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In some
cases this data is comparable and therefore we can collate it in order to provide a UK
overview. However some datasets are published in some areas and not others, and in
these instances only data for those areas has been used.
Hospital care
There were 7.67 million NHS outpatient ophthalmology appointments in 2011/12
(Indicator 20). This is a slight increase on the previous year, with around 200,000 more
appointments. Of this total, 2.01 million people were new patients attending an eye
clinic for the first time (Indicator 21). This is a slight decrease in the number of new
patients from the previous year, with 40,000 people fewer people attending an eye
clinic for the first time.
• 5.8 per cent of new patients in Wales did not attend their appointment
• 9.0 per cent of new patients in Scotland did not attend their appointment
• 7.0 per cent of new patients in Northern Ireland did not attend their appointment.
In 2011/12, there were 720,000 NHS inpatient ophthalmology inpatient episodes
(Indicator 23). This is a slight decease on the previous year, with 7,000 fewer inpatients
episodes when compared to 2010/11.
Waiting times
Government targets suggest that the time taken from initial referral to treatment should
be no greater than 18 weeks. In 2012, 480,000 patients started admitted treatment
in England under the ophthalmology speciality. Of these patients 6.3 per cent did not
start their treatment within the 18 week guidelines (Indicator 24a). This equates to
around 30,000 patients in England who did not start their treatment within 18 weeks.
A further 998,000 patients started non-admitted ophthalmic treatment in 2012. Of
these patients 2.5 per cent did not start their treatment within the 18 week guidelines
(Indicator 24b). This equates to a further 25,000 patients in England who did not start
their treatment within 18 weeks.
At the end of 2012 an additional 270,000 patients were waiting to start their
ophthalmic treatment.
Treatments
Age-related macular degeneration
In 2011 the cost of prescribing Lucentis, a proven treatment for wet AMD, was £155
million for the NHS in England (Indicator 25). In total £26 million more was spent
on Lucentis compared to the previous year.
Cataract
There were 396,000 cataract operations performed in the NHS in 2011/12
(Indicator 28). This represents a slight decrease in the number of operations from
the previous year, with 5,000 fewer cataract procedures performed in the UK then
in 2010/11 and 10,000 fewer than in 2009/10.
Glaucoma
The most common treatment for glaucoma is the prescription of eye drops to reduce
intraocular pressure (RNIB, 2012). In 2011 the total spend on community-based
glaucoma prescriptions was £132 million (Indicator 29). This represents a £3 million
increase from 2010.
This figure is an underestimate because it does not include prescriptions that were
dispensed in hospitals. It is also not a true reflection of the overall net cost of glaucoma
prescriptions because it does not take into account expenditure related to the
dispensing of prescriptions or income related to prescription charges.
Certification
A Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) formally certifies a person as either sight
impaired (partially sighted) or severely sight impaired (blind). The purpose of the CVI
is to provide someone with sight loss a reliable and formal route to social care services.
Each CVI form is completed by a consultant ophthalmologist in an eye clinic and a
copy is sent to the patient, their GP, the local social services department and the
Certifications Office at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Upon receipt of the CVI, the social
services offer registration and other relevant advice and services (Boyce, 2012).
• 43.1 out of every 100,000 people of all ages were newly certified
• 1of09.4 out of every 100,000 people aged 65 and over were certified as a result
AMD
• 1of1.8glaucoma
out of every 100,000 people aged 40 and over were certified as a result
• 3of.6diabetic
out of every 100,000 people aged 12 and over were certified as a result
eye disease.
The provision of emotional and practical support at the right time can help people who
are experiencing sight loss to retain their independence and access the support they need.
Patient experience in the eye clinic is crucial. It is here that people receive their
diagnosis, undergo treatment and potentially go through the process of receiving
a Certificate of Vision Impairment. Support at any of these stages is invaluable to
someone experiencing sight loss (Boyce, 2011b). Equally when someone experiences
sight loss it is also vital for them to have support in their home and in their local area.
Data sources
There is no official published record of what support is available in eye clinics or
in the community. In the absence of any official statistics, RNIB and the Social Care
Association have mapped a range of local provision in order to build up a national
picture of support services. The results of this mapping work form the basis of the
data in this section.
Eye clinics
We estimate that around 48 per cent of eye clinics in the UK offer some kind of support
to patients (Indicator 32). This includes all types of support, such as Eye Clinic Liaison
Officers (ECLOs), volunteers, patient support services and specialist ophthalmic nurses
who have an element of patient support built into their role.
Some hospitals provide support from staff or volunteers that have been accredited
and trained to provide high quality emotional and practical support. We estimate that
around 27 per cent of eye clinics have accredited and trained support available to
patients (Indicator 33).
The Adult UK sight loss pathway describes best practice for provision (UKVS, 2012).
Further details of this pathway can be found on the UK Vision Strategy website:
www.vision2020uk.org.uk/ukvisionstrategy
One of the professional groups contributing to delivery of the early intervention
pathway are qualified Rehabilitation Officers. They are specially trained in supporting
people to retain their independence when they have experienced sight loss. There are
an estimated 600 Rehabilitation Officers currently employed in the UK providing early
intervention support to blind and partially sighted people (Indicator 34).
Data sources
One of the main sources of data used in this section is a secondary analysis of
two large government surveys that were published in the “Circumstances of people with
sight loss” report (McManus and Lord, 2012). Both “Understanding Society” and the
“Life Opportunities Survey” allow us to identify a sample of people with sight loss and
investigate their circumstances. The main advantage of using these surveys is that we
can compare the situation of people with sight loss to the general population – these
comparisons are made robust by taking into account variations in age and gender. Any
comparisons made between people with sight and people without sight loss in this
report have been adjusted for age and gender.
It is important to note that that the percentages from the “Circumstances of people
with sight loss” report (McManus and Lord, 2012) are for the population of people
living with sight loss as a whole. If we were to focus on people who reported more
severe sight loss then we invariably find their circumstances to be worse (McManus,
Lord and Slade, 2013).
Wellbeing
Evidence suggests that there is a strong link between sight loss and reduced
psychological wellbeing, particularly amongst older people who develop sight loss later
in life (Hodge, Barr and Knox, 2010). People living with sight loss report lower feelings
of wellbeing, reduced self-confidence and lower satisfaction with their overall health.
Over one-third of people living with sight loss say that they feel unhappy or depressed
(Indicator 35). People with sight loss were seven times more likely than non-disabled
people to feel unhappy or depressed.
More than half of people living with sight loss say that they are dissatisfied with their
health (Indicator 36). People with sight loss were four times more likely than those
with no impairment to be dissatisfied with their health.
One-quarter of people living with light loss say that they are unhappy with their life
overall (Indicator 37). People with sight loss were three times more likely than those
with no impairment to be unhappy with life overall.
Support
Many blind and partially sighted people require support in order to remain independent.
Sometimes this is provided by social services, but typically it is provided on an informal
basis by family, friends and neighbours. The cost of this informal care is billions of
pounds each year (Access Economics, 2009).
80 per cent of people living with sight loss said that they received help from family
members (Indicator 40). Other common forms of support were from friends or
neighbours (26 per cent) and paid help inside or outside the home (16 per cent and
17 per cent respectively).
20 per cent of people living with sight loss said that they rarely or never have a say over
the help or assistance they receive (Indicator 41).
Social services also provide formal packages of care to blind and partially sighted
people. The type of support provided by social services includes equipment, adaptations
and home care. 36,085 blind and partially sighted people were in receipt of support
from social services in England in 2011/12 (Indicator 42). This represents a 26 per
cent decrease in the number of blind and partially sighted people receiving adult social
services since 2008/09.
Benefits
One of the most important benefits paid to blind and partially sighted people is
Disability Living Allowance (DLA). This benefit helps with the extra costs caused
by a disability, and is paid at different rates depending on the level of help an
individual needs.
As of August 2012 there were 72,000 Disability Living Allowance claimants recorded
under the “blindness” classification (Indicator 46). This represents a slight increase
in the number of claimants from the previous year. However, this is likely to be an
underestimate as there may be other people with sight loss who are in receipt of DLA
but who are recorded as having a different disability such as a learning disability or
hearing impairment.
From April 2013, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will replace DLA for people
aged 16 to 64. RNIB and other disability organisations have serious concerns about
the impact this change will have on blind and partially sighted people and people with
other disabilities. For more information please see the Hardest Hit campaign website:
http://thehardesthit.wordpress.com
A key entitlement for older blind and partially sighted people is Attendance Allowance.
As of August 2012 there were 54,500 blind and partially sighted people claiming
Attendance Allowance (Indicator 47). This represents a slight decrease in the number
of claimants from the previous year.
Education
An estimated 25,000 children in Britain are blind or partially sighted. Around half have
additional disabilities and/or special educational needs.
The Department for Education only publish attainment data by a pupil’s primary (main)
special educational need (SEN). This means that we cannot identify:
• 3level
5 per cent of pupils with a primary SEN of visual impairment achieved a “good
of development” in Early Years Foundation Stage teacher assessments
(Indicator 48a). This compares to 63 per cent of pupils with no identified SEN.
• 44 per cent of pupils with a primary SEN of visual impairment achieved five or more
GCSEs grades A* to C, including Maths and English (Indicator 48b). This compares
to 70 per cent of pupils with no identified SEN.
Two in five local authority Visual Impairment services say they are currently unable
to meet the needs of at least one group of children and young people (Indicator 49).
Young people in FE or other post-school settings are the main group whose needs VI
services are unable to meet. The most common reasons given were insufficient staff
in the VI team or local authority policy (Keil, 2013).
In further education 14,900 adult learners aged 19 and over are recorded as having
a visual impairment in England (Indicator 50).
In higher education 3,520 students are recorded as having a visual impairment
in England (Indicator 51). Of these, 2,755 were undergraduates and 765 were
postgraduates.
Employment
Blind and partially sighted people face a range of barriers in accessing employment
opportunities. Restrictions such as a lack of access to education and training
opportunities, transport and attitudes of employers have all been identified as barriers
to obtaining and retaining work (Douglas et al, 2009).
Two-thirds of people living with sight loss say that they experience restrictions in being
able to access and fully participate in employment (Indicator 52).
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a large scale survey carried out on behalf of the UK
government. It can help us track how many people with sight loss are in employment.
*Based on results of interviews with 201 blind and partially sighted RNIB customers.
Blind and partially sighted people face restrictions and barriers in accessing goods
and services. Tasks that most of us take for granted, such as catching a bus, shopping
for everyday necessities, knowing how much money is in your bank account, reading
books, finding out what’s on television and being able to access computers and mobile
phones can provide major challenges for blind and partially sighted people.
Travel
Travel is a crucial element of independence and inclusion, but for many blind and
partially sighted people travelling is a challenge. This can result in blind and partially
sighted people being trapped at home and can lead to isolation, reduced wellbeing and
low confidence. We need to be able to travel to get to work, to meet with family and
friends, go shopping, play an active role in civic life, and many other things.
Nearly two-thirds of blind and partially sighted people say that because of their sight
loss they need help to get out of the house (Indicator 54).
Over half of blind and partially sighted people say that they are not able to travel by
train as much as they would like (Indicator 55). The most common barrier to train travel
identified by respondents was their sight loss. Other related barriers are:
Reading
Nine out of ten blind and partially sighted people say that they read books, and reading
for leisure is important for many people with sight loss. People access written material
in a number of different ways including audio with a human voice, synthetic speech,
hard copy braille and large print (Slade, 2013). However book readers can face limited
choices as the titles they want to read may not be available in their preferred format
(Greenwood, White and Creaser, 2011).
In an analysis of the top 1,000 books in 2011, only 17 per cent were found to be
accessible in the traditional alternative formats – that is human speech audio, hard copy
braille and hard copy large print. If we include accessible eBooks then the proportion
of the top 1,000 books in 2011 that are available in alternative formats increases to
76 per cent (Indicator 62).
One-quarter of blind and partially sighted people who read books have either read an
eBook or used an eBook device, such as the Amazon Kindle or Apple iPad (Indicator 63).
Television
Research has shown that watching television is a high priority for blind and partially
sighted people (Douglas et al, 2006). The ability to watch, enjoy and talk about TV
is key to social inclusion.
One of the key ways that television can be made more inclusive is through audio
description (AD). Audio description is a commentary added to TV programmes that
gives people information about the things they might not be able to see, such as
body language, expressions and movements. In 2012 around 23 per cent of television
programmes were broadcast with AD (Indicator 64). This figure is based on channels
that have audio description obligations, rather than across every available channel.
The proportion of television programmes broadcast with AD has slightly decreased
since the previous year. This is primarily because more channels now have obligations
to broadcast TV programmes with AD, and so the additional programmes included as
a result of these newer channels have lowered the overall average.
Over half of blind and partially sighted people say that they have watched a television
programme with audio description (Indicator 65).
According to the latest estimates from the World Health Organisation, there are 285
million people living with sight loss worldwide. Around 39 million people are blind and
246 million are partially sighted (Indicator 69).
Developing countries have significantly higher levels of sight loss. Around 90 per cent
of global sight loss occurs in developing countries, with cataract being the leading cause
of sight loss in these countries. The World Health Organisation estimates that
80 per cent of global sight loss can be avoided or treated.
It is estimated that there are over 30 million blind and partially sighted people in
geographical Europe (Indicator 70).
Access Economics (2009) Future Sight Loss UK 1: The economic impact of partial sight
and blindness in the UK adult population. RNIB.
ASH (2013) Smoking statistics: who smokes and how much. Action on Smoking
and Health.
Bassett P (2010) Educational attainment and progress of young blind and partially
sighted pupils in England. RNIB.
Boyce T (2011a) Falls: costs, numbers and links with visual impairment. RNIB.
Boyce T (2011b) Innovation and quality in sight loss and blindness services: Eye Clinic
Liaison Officers. RNIB.
Boyce T (2012) The Certification and Registration Processes: Stages, barriers and
delays. RNIB.
BSO (2012) Prescription Cost Analysis, Northern Ireland, 2011. Health and Social Care
Business Services Organisation.
BSO (2013) Information on NHS sight tests in Northern Ireland obtained from emails
received from statisticians working in Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care Business
Services Organisation in March 2013.
Byron C, Blake M and Bridges S (2013) Secondary analysis of Adult Social Care Data.
Natcen report for RNIB. To be published in September 2013.
Chanfreau J and Cebulla A (2009) Educational attainment of blind and partially sighted
pupils. NatCen report for RNIB.
DHSSPS (2012a) Prevalence Data in the Quality and Outcomes Framework, 2011/12,
Northern Ireland. Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
DHSSPS (2012c) Northern Ireland Hospital Statistics: Inpatient and Day Case Activity,
2011/12. Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
Diabetes UK (2012) Diabetes in the UK 2012: Key statistics on diabetes. Diabetes UK.
Douglas G, Corcoran C and Pavey S (2006) Network 1000: Opinions and circumstances
of blind and partially sighted people in Great Britain. Visual Impairment Centre for
Teaching and Research, University of Birmingham.
DWP (2012) Households Below Average Income. Department for Work and Pensions.
DWP (2013b) Benefit payments 5 per cent data – Attendance Allowance. Department
for Work and Pensions.
EBU (2013) Key facts and figures concerning blindness and sight loss. European
Blind Union.
Edwards A (2012) Tackling digital exclusion – Older blind and partially sighted people
and the internet. RNIB.
Harris J, Keil S, Lord C and McManus S (2013) Sight impaired at age seven: secondary
analysis of the Millennium Cohort Survey. RLSB, RNIB and NatCen.
HESA (2013) Figures taken from the 2011/12 HESA Student Records, and the
breakdown for blind and partially sighted students was obtained by RNIB via
correspondence with the Higher Education Statistics Agency in April 2013.
Hewett R (2013) Investigation of data relating to blind and partially sighted people
in the Quarterly Labour Force Survey: October 2009 to September 2012. RNIB.
Hodge S, Barr W and Knox P (2010) Evaluation of emotional support and counselling
within an integrated low vision service. Liverpool University.
HSCIC (2011) Registered Blind and Partially Sighted People – England, Year ending
31 March 2011. Health and Social Care Information Centre.
HSCIC (2012a) Disease prevalence: Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) for April
2011 – March 2012, England. Health and Social Care Information Centre.
HSCIC (2012d) Hospital Episode Statistics, Admitted Patient Care – England, 2011–12.
Health and Social Care Information Centre.
HSCIC (2012e) Hospital Prescribing – England, 2011. Health and Social Care
Information Centre.
HSCIC (2012f) Prescription Cost Analysis, England, 2011. Health and Social Care
Information Centre.
ISD (2012d) Outpatient Activity: Summary for Scotland, 2011/12. Information Services
Division, NHS National Services Scotland.
ISD (2012e) Inpatient and Day Case Activity: Summary for Scotland, 2011/12.
Information Services Division, NHS National Services Scotland.
ISD (2012f) Prescription Cost Analysis, Scotland, 2011. Information Services Division,
NHS National Services Scotland.
Keil S (2012) RNIB survey of VI services in England and Wales 2012: report for
England. RNIB.
Khan, J et al (2006) Smoking and age related macular degeneration: the number
of pack years of cigarette smoking is a major determinant of risk for both geographic
atrophy and choroidal neovascularisation. Br J Ophthalmol. 2006 Jan;90(1):75-80.
McManus S and Lord C (2012) Circumstances of people with sight loss: secondary analysis
of Understanding Society and the Life Opportunities Survey. Natcen report for RNIB.
McManus S, Lord C and Slade J (2013) Wellbeing across the life course. Natcen report
for RNIB. To be published in September 2013.
Morris M and Smith P (2008) Educational provision for blind and partially sighted
children and young people in Britain: 2007. National Foundation for Educational
Research (NFER) for RNIB.
NHS Wales (2012) Patient Episode Database for Wales. NHS Wales.
ONS (2012a) 2011 Census, Population and Household Estimates for the United
Kingdom. Office for National Statistics.
ONS (2012b) Focus on Older People, Population Ageing in the United Kingdom and
Europe. Office for National Statistics.
Public Health England (2013) Public Health Outcomes Framework Data Tool. Public
Health England.
RNIB (2011) Expenditure figures for 2009/10 were obtained by RNIB Northern Ireland
via correspondence with the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
RNIB (2013a) Number of adults and children certified with sight impairment and severe
sight impairment in England and Wales: April 2011–March 2012. RNIB.
SCA (2012) Estimated number of ROVIs currently working in the UK. Social Care
Association.
Scottish Government (2010) Registered Blind and Partially Sighted Persons, Scotland
2010. Scottish Government.
SFA (2012) Equality and Diversity data report, 2008/09 to 2010/11. Skills Funding Agency.
Slade J, Lord C and McManus S (2012) The financial situation of people with sight loss.
RNIB and Natcen poster, presented at the UK Vision conference in June 2012.
Thomas Pocklington Trust (2007) Occasional Paper Number 11: Dementia and serious
sight loss. Thomas Pocklington Trust.
Welsh Government (2012c) Ophthalmic Statistics for Wales, 2011–12. Welsh Government.
Welsh Government (2012e) Prescription Cost Analysis, Wales, 2011. Welsh Government.
Welsh Government (2013) NHS programme budgets: Wales, 2011/12. Welsh Government.
WHO (2012) Visual impairment and blindness fact sheet. World Health Organisation.
7. Low income – Number 13.0 million 13.5 million Down UK DWP (2012)
of people in the UK who (2010/11) (2009/10)
Low income is defined as
are living in low income
people living in households
households after housing costs
with incomes below 60
per cent of contemporary
median net disposable
household income after
housing costs
45
46
Living with sight loss and those at risk of sight loss
Indicator Sight loss UK Previous Trend Area Source
2013 estimate estimate
8. Diabetes – Number of 3.0 million 2.9 million Up UK HSCIC (2012a)
people in the UK who are (2011/12) (2010/11) Welsh Government (2012b)
diagnosed as having diabetes ISD (2012a)
DHSSPS (2012a)
9. Smoking – Proportion of 20 per cent 21 per cent Down Britain ASH (2013)
adults in the UK who smoke (2011) (2009)
10. Learning disabilities 96,500 Not available – UK Emerson and Robertson
– Number of adults with a (2011)
learning disability who are
blind or partially sighted
12. Primary care costs – £496 million Not available – England DH (2013a)
Expenditure on providing (2011/12)
primary eye care services,
which includes NHS sight tests
47
48
Cost of sight loss
Indicator Sight loss UK Previous Trend Area Source
2013 estimate estimate
14. Outpatient costs – £677 million Not available – England DH (2013a)
Expenditure on providing (2011/12)
outpatient ophthalmology
services
15. Cost of care – Cost of £370 million £355 million Up UK Access Economics (2009)
providing residential and (2013) (2012)
community care to blind and
partially sighted people
16. Indirect costs – Total £5.3 billion £5.1 billion Up UK Access Economics (2009)
cost of unpaid care, reduced (2013) (2012)
employment and other
indirect costs on UK economy
as a result of sight loss
19. Low income sight tests 1,927,000 1,981,000 Down England HSCIC (2012b)
– Number of people recorded (2011/12) (2010/11) and Welsh Government (2012c)
as having an NHS sight test Wales
Patient eligibility for
under one of the low income
inclusion in “low income”
eligibility criteria
group:
• Adults receiving income
support
• Adults receiving tax
credits
• Low income certificate
49
holders (HC2)
50
Prevention of sight loss
Indicator Sight loss UK Previous Trend Area Source
2013 estimate estimate
20. Outpatients – Total 7.67 million 7.46 million Up UK NHSIC (2012c)
number of NHS outpatient (2011/12) (2010/11) Welsh Government (2012d)
ophthalmology appointments ISD (2012d)
DHSSPS (2012b)
21. New outpatients – 2.01 million 2.05 million Down UK NHSIC (2012c)
Number of NHS outpatient (2011/12) (2010/11) Welsh Government (2012d)
ophthalmology appointments ISD (2012d)
for new patients DHSSPS (2012b)
26. Diabetic retinopathy: 80.9 per cent 79.3 per cent Up England NSC (2012)
uptake – Proportion of (2011/12) (2010/11)
people offered screening who
were screened
51
52
Prevention of sight loss
Indicator Sight loss UK Previous Trend Area Source
2013 estimate estimate
27. Diabetic retinopathy: 73.9 per cent 72.6 per cent Up England NSC (2012)
coverage – Proportion (2011/12) (2010/11)
of people diagnosed with
diabetes who were screened
29. Glaucoma – Total spend £132.3 million £129.4 million Up UK HSCIC (2012f)
on glaucoma prescriptions (2011) (2010) Welsh Government
(2012e)
ISD (2012f)
BSO (2012)
Early reach
Indicator Sight loss UK Previous Trend Area Source
2013 estimate estimate
32. Early intervention – 48 per cent Not available – UK RNIB (2013b)
Percentage of hospitals that (April 2013)
have some form of support
in their eye clinics
53
54
Early reach
Indicator Sight loss UK Previous Trend Area Source
2013 estimate estimate
33. Qualified support – 27 per cent Not available – UK RNIB (2013b)
Percentage of hospitals that (April 2013)
have qualified support in their
eye clinics
Independence
Indicator Sight loss UK Previous Trend Area Source
2013 estimate estimate
35. Depression – Proportion 34 per cent Not available – Britain McManus and Lord
of people with sight loss who (2012)
say that they feel unhappy or
depressed
36. Health – Proportion of 55 per cent Not available – Britain McManus and Lord
people with sight loss who are (2012)
dissatisfied with their health
38. Free time – Proportion of 34 per cent Not available – Britain McManus and Lord
people living with sight loss (2012)
who say that they have little
or no choice over how they
spend their free time
39. Mobility – Proportion of 49 per cent Not available – Britain McManus and Lord
people living with sight loss (2012)
who say that they experience
difficulties getting into or
moving around buildings
40. Reliance – Proportion of 80 per cent Not available – Britain McManus and Lord
people with sight loss who say (2012)
that they receive support from
family members
55
56
Independence
Indicator Sight loss UK Previous Trend Area Source
2013 estimate estimate
41. No choice – Proportion 20 per cent Not available – Britain McManus and Lord
of people with sight loss who (2012)
say that they rarely or never
have a say over the help or
assistance they receive
42. Social care – Number 36,085 48,665 Down England Byron, Blake and Bridges
of blind and partially sighted (2011/12) (2008/09) (2013)
people in receipt of adult
social care services in England
43. Hardship – Proportion of 41 per cent Not available – Britain McManus and Lord
people with sight loss who say (2012)
that they have some or great
difficulty in making ends meet
44. Income – Proportion of 49 per cent Not available – Britain McManus and Lord
people with sight loss who say (2012)
that they live in a household
with a total income of less
than £300 a week
57
English
58
Independence
Indicator Sight loss UK Previous Trend Area Source
2013 estimate estimate
49. Unmet need – Proportion Two out of Not available – England Keil (2012)
of local authority Visual every five
Impairment services that say
they are unable to meet the
needs of at least one group of
children and young people
52. Labour market – 66 per cent Not available – Britain McManus and Lord
Proportion of people with (2012)
sight loss who say that they
experience restrictions in
being able to access and fully
participate in employment
Inclusion
Indicator Sight loss UK Previous Trend Area Source
2013 estimate estimate
54. Travel – Proportion of 61 per cent Not available – UK Slade (2013)
blind and partially sighted
people who need help to get
out of the house
55. Trains – Proportion of blind 53 per cent Not available – UK Slade (2013)
and partially sighted people who
are not able to travel on trains as
much as they would like
56. Buses – Proportion of blind 42 per cent Not available – UK Slade (2013)
and partially sighted people who
are not able to travel on buses as
much as they would like
59
60
Inclusion
Indicator Sight loss UK Previous Trend Area Source
2013 estimate estimate
57. Shopping – Proportion 82 per cent Not available – UK Slade (2013)
of blind and partially sighted
people who need help to go
shopping
58. Everyday necessities – 50 per cent Not available – UK McManus and Lord
Proportion of people living (2013)
with sight loss who say that
they need help to shop for
everyday necessities
61
assistance
62
Indicator Sight loss UK Previous Trend Area Source
2013 estimate estimate
63. eBooks – Proportion of 27 per cent Not available – UK Slade (2013)
blind and partially sighted
people who read books that
have read an eBook or have
used an eBook device
64. Television – Proportion 23.1 per cent 24.1 per cent Down UK Ofcom (2013)
of TV programmes that (2012) (2011) Figure based on channels
are broadcast with audio that have audio
description description obligations,
rather than across every
available channel
63
64
European and world sight loss
Indicator Sight loss UK Previous Trend Area Source
2013 estimate estimate
69. Global sight loss – 285 million 285 million No Global WHO (2012)
Number of people living with change
sight loss worldwide
70. European sight loss – 30 million Not available – Europe EBU (2013)
Number of people living with
sight loss in Europe
Strategy Outcome 1
Everyone in the UK looks after their
eyes and their sight.
Strategy Outcome 2
Everyone with an eye condition
receives timely treatment and, if
permanent sight loss occurs, early
and appropriate services and support
are available and accessible to all.
Strategy Outcome 3
A society in which people with sight
loss can fully participate.