The RCOphth welcomes House of Lords report on The Long-term Sustainability of the NHS and Adult Social Care
6 April 2017
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists welcomes the publication of the House of Lords report on The Long Term Sustainability of the NHS and Adult Social Care. We were pleased to contribute to the evidence reviewed and support the fundamental recommendations of the report. In particular we would like to highlight the recommendations related to ‘the absence of long-term workforce planning’.
Our recently published ‘Workforce Census 2016 – A Picture of the Size and Shape of the Ophthalmic workforce’ demonstrates clearly the shortage of senior staff within the specialty both now and predicted over the next few years.
We regret that the Department of Health is not engaging with our call to increase the numbers of ophthalmology trainees to counter the shortfalls.
We trust that the publication of the House of Lords report will be followed by an agreement from the government to act on its recommendations in order to improve the future of the nation’s ophthalmic and other healthcare.
Professor Stephen Vernon, Vice President