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Low Vision Census figures suggest that the number of people who should be registered as partially sighted or blind should be much higher than the numbers actually registered. It is therefore thought that many people fall through gaps in existing services and do not receive the help that they should receive. To try to address these shortfalls, a report was written in 1999 by the Low Vision Consensus Group, entitled ‘Low Vision Services; Recommendations for future service delivery in the UK’. This report suggests a framework to ensure that such gaps are filled, setting standards for:
(* These are areas of the low vision services that involve optometrists, either directly or indirectly.) To carry forward these standards, the report suggests the need for Local Low Vision Service Committees, to investigate current services, plan future services, and monitor progress. So far 49 such committees have been set up across the UK. North Somerset Low Vision Committee - Andy Beavis Work has been undertaken within North Somerset to set up such a Low Vision Service Committee, which comprises representation from:
Following the setting up of this committee, the next stage has been a full audit of current services, and a study of how low vision service users view these current services. These 2 studies are now complete. The results of each have been compared to identify gaps in service provision, and a proposal for a future pathway for delivery of low vision services model has been devised. This model has been supported in principle by North Somerset PCT, but there is currently no funding to allow further development (Sept 2008). As optometrists are providers of low vision services, whether in the hospital environment or in private practice, the LOC feels that being involved with this work is clearly within the remit of the LOC. Low vision will soon by the subject of one of the workstreams of the Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire Eye Service Design Group. It is hoped that an area wide approach can be formulated, and that the North Somerset model will form part of the discussions within this workstream. Andy Beavis, December 2008. South Gloucestershire Low Vision Committee + Bristol Low Vision Committee Low Vision Committees were set up in both of these areas in 2004-05, and these committees meet on a quarterly basis. Currently there is no representation on either of these committees from the LOC.
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