Eye disease is a major contributor to NHS hospital backlogs, and the number of cases is set to significantly increase with an ageing population. This makes eye care service planning vital. However, much of the data relating to eye disease prevalence and workforce are disjointed and incomplete. 

To help healthcare commissioners plan services, organisations from across the eye care sector, led by the College, have collaborated to create the UK Eye Care Data Hub (COptom, 2025). Introduced in January 2025, this open-access online tool forecasts the number of people expected to have eye conditions and models the expected workforce in the UK over the next 15 years. 

Work on the project began in late 2022. Sarah Cant, Director of Policy and Strategy at the College, says the project aimed to model the eye care workforce, including all healthcare professions supporting eye care, such as ophthalmic nurses, ophthalmologists, dispensing opticians and orthoptists as well as optometrists. An Advisory Group consisting of project funders and stakeholders across the sector was established (see panel on page 38).

The tool covers over 40 eye conditions, with more to be added in summer 2025. Professor Stephen Kaye, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists’ Vice-President, says: “Further work is needed to make the tool even more useful. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists is continuing to collate prevalence and incidence data for over 250 eye conditions. This should be incorporated into the Hub to help ensure it is the most effective resource for helping commissioners plan services.”

Trends for primary and secondary workforces are based on 2023 data and what is happening currently in terms of the numbers entering and leaving the profession, and on the assumption that no interventions, policy changes or other factors might impact on those numbers. The Hub will be updated during summer 2025 to include data for more eye conditions, and more recent workforce data, where it is available.