New plans to establish an eye care service for pupils and students at special schools in Wales have been unveiled by Health and Social Services Minister, Mark Drakeford.
The proposed new service will be known as SPECS (School Pupil
Eye Care Service) and will provide specialist eye care for each
child and young person in a special school in Wales.
Visual impairment and blindness is relatively rare in children.
However, research by Cardiff University in 2012 revealed that
children with learning disabilities are at a much higher risk of
sight problems, eye health disorders and refractive errors.
Special School Ophthalmic teams consisting of optometrists,
orthoptists and dispensing opticians will provide the service to
pupils within the school setting during the school day. It will
form part of the existing primary care Wales Eye Care
The service will:
- Offer a comprehensive assessment when pupils first start
- Offer pupils and students a regular sight test that will be
performed in the familiar surroundings of their special
- Give pupils and students in special schools, their parents and
carers the choice to have the spectacles fitted and dispensed at
- Make referrals to agencies and professionals as
- Ensure test results are explained to pupils, their families and
teachers, as well as their healthcare professionals, throughout
their school life and in transition to adulthood.
When a student leaves special school they will receive a "vision
passport" with details of their visual needs. This will help to
ensure they remain in the care of eye care services into
Professor Drakeford said:
"Preventing avoidable sight loss and the early identification of
sight problems starts in childhood but for children and young
people with learning disabilities there is evidence of barriers to
accessing eye care and high unmet need.
"I very much look forward to hearing people's views about our
plans for the SPECS service.
"The service will ensure all pupils and students attending special
schools in Wales have access to ophthalmic services, making the
right support available at the right time and in the right place
for our most vulnerable learners."
The proposed new service is subject to a three-month consultation
and can be viewed on the Welsh Government website: http://gov.wales/consultations/healthsocialcare/eye-care/?lang=en.
Deadline for responses: 02/05/2016