Access to eyecare - what are people saying?
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Healthwatch Dudley undertook research on access to eye care services among people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, people with learning disabilities and people living with dementia. They spoke to more than 70 people through surveys, focus groups and individual case studies to understand how these groups access eye care and optician services.
The report found that most people who used opticians were positive about the quality of eye tests and the professionalism of staff. However, many participants were unaware of eye conditions that may affect them, unaware that home visits from opticians were available, or only visited an optician when they believed there was a problem with their eyesight. Communication was a major theme, with many participants valuing opticians who took time to explain procedures clearly, adapt tests to individual needs and answer questions in an understandable way.
People from minority ethnic communities highlighted language barriers and difficulties accessing information in community languages. Participants with learning disabilities and dementia reported that eye tests were not always adapted to meet their needs and that some staff lacked awareness of how to communicate effectively. Many respondents valued seeing the same optician regularly, felt more confident when accompanied by a relative or carer and said they benefited when staff had knowledge of dementia or learning disabilities. Awareness and use of domiciliary eye care services was low across all groups.
Healthwatch Dudley recommended improving public awareness of regular eye tests and home visit services, making information clearer and more accessible, providing staff training on working with people with dementia, learning disabilities and diverse communities, adapting eye tests where needed and ensuring people have enough time to ask questions and understand what is happening during appointments. It also highlighted the need for more outreach work to reach groups who are less likely to access eye care services.