Did you know that eye care costs the NHS at least £4.1 billion per year? Or that the wider economic impact of sight loss is estimated to be £29 billion in 2026?
At a national level, one of the key impacts of sight loss is on the economy. This reflects that reality that sight loss isn’t purely a health or disability issue – it’s an economic one as well.
This article highlights the new financial impact data that has been included in the Sight Loss Data Tool, where the data has come from and how it might be useful for you.
NHS costs
Using official data published by each of the four nations in the UK, we can track the number of eye appointments and procedures and, critically, the average and total cost of providing these services.
From this data, we know that sight loss is costing the NHS at least £4.1 billion each year. This includes NHS eye tests, hospital services, prescriptions and GP costs. And this is only a partial picture, as it only relates to the costs we can directly evidence.
Wider economic impact
Direct costs to the NHS are only one part of the story. Costs across the public sector as a whole are greater – and this does not include costs to the wider economy or society.
The data on total economic impacts attempts to fill in these gaps. It includes estimates for things like social services, lower employment and informal care. It also includes estimates on the impact of reduced quality of life for individuals living with sight loss through a method called disability-adjusted life years.
Using the data
Financial impact is another piece of the puzzle that shows why eye care and sight loss should be a priority.
Estimating the cost puts into context the benefits of providing appropriate services and interventions to support people to achieve better outcomes – whether in relation to health, employment, getting around or other areas.
To be used most effectively, economic impact can sit alongside market sizing (also in the Sight Loss Data Tool), lived experience from blind and partially sighted people and knowledge about the specific challenges and opportunities in local areas.
For both NHS and total costs, national-level data has been apportioned to local levels based on the percentage of people living with sight loss in each area. This provides a topline estimate of local costs based on population size.
Explore the Sight Loss Data Tool to learn more about these economic impact insights and how they apply to your local area.