To ask the Minister of Health (i) to detail the number of patients in each Health and Social Care Trust who have accessed the NI Primary Eye-care Assessment and Referral Service (NI PEARS) since it was introduced; (ii) to detail the cost of this service per patient compared with a similar assessment and referral service provided by a GP; and (iii) how NI PEARS can reduce waiting times, increase access to eye-care services and relieve pressure from other primary care providers.

The numbers of patients accessing the Northern Ireland Primary Eyecare Assessment and Referral Service (NI PEARS) since it was introduced in March 2018 are set out in the table below by Local Commissioning Group (LCG) area.

The cost of the service per patient is £40 for a first assessment and £15 for a follow up appointment. The funding model for GP attendances does not allow for a direct comparison to be made.

NI PEARS provides the first point of contact for patients who develop a sudden acute previously undiagnosed eye problem. There is appropriate regional provision, with 235 optometric practices across Northern Ireland accredited to provide the service. Approximately 80% of NI PEARS presentations are managed by the optometrist in practice without the need for onward referral, releasing capacity in both primary care GP practices and secondary care ophthalmology departments.