AQW 6118/22-27

Mr Harry Harvey
Democratic Unionist Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 12/02/2024
Answered On Date: 26/02/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health whether he plans to (i) reintroduce the Northern Ireland Primary Eyecare Assessment and Referral Service Plus; and (ii) permanently fund it.

Answer:

The Northern Ireland Primary Eyecare Assessment and Referral Service Plus (NI PEARS Plus) pilot commenced in 2023/24 and ran for thirty-three weeks, with 834 patients accessing the community optometry-based service with acute eye conditions which would otherwise have presented at Belfast HSC Trust Eye Casualty.

NI PEARS Plus seeks to build on the successful NI PEARS scheme which currently manages ca. 4,000 patients in community optometry settings, closer to home.

As per commissioning specification, the pilot is currently being evaluated for impact, assessing metrics around activity, performance, clinical safety, patient experience and cost-effectiveness.

Following evaluation, and in consultation with stakeholders, Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG) will make a commissioning decision on whether the service should be mainstreamed and introduced regionally, subject to available funding.