News and events

On Tuesday 30th June, the APPG for Eye Health and Visual Impairment hosted a parliamentary Oral Evidence Session on accessible digital eye care and the NHS App, chaired by Marsha De Cordova MP.

The session brought together parliamentarians, people with lived experience of sight loss, clinicians, NHS representatives, policymakers and sector experts to explore the opportunities and challenges of delivering accessible digital healthcare for people who are blind or partially sighted.

Across two evidence panels, witnesses discussed a range of issues including the accessibility of the NHS App and other digital eye care services, patient safety, accessible information, digital exclusion, co-design, and the future development of digital health services, including the proposed Single Patient Record.

The evidence session provided an important opportunity to hear directly from people with lived experience alongside those responsible for developing, delivering and influencing digital healthcare policy. Discussions highlighted the importance of ensuring accessibility is embedded from the outset, enabling blind and partially sighted people to access digital health services independently, safely and equitably.

The APPG would like to thank all of the panellists and attendees for their valuable contributions. The APPG was pleased to hear evidence from:

• Bernadette Warren, Chair of the Lay Advisory Group, Royal College of Ophthalmologists
• Khadija Raza, Policy Lead, RNIB
• Eamonn Dunne, Policy and Campaigns Manager, TPT
• Henrietta Hughes, Patient Safety Commissioner
• Dr Hannah Brown, GP
• Kate Horn, Deputy Director of Product and Platforms, NHS England
• Max Marulli de Barletta – Inclusive Design Lead, Product and Platforms, NHS England

The APPG Secretariat will now begin developing a report bringing together the evidence heard during the session, alongside recommendations to help inform future policy and the development of accessible digital health services.

To find out more about the APPG’s work or to receive updates on the forthcoming report, please contact the Secretariat team via appgehvi@plmr.co.uk.

APPG Eye Health and Visual Impairment Launches Survey on Accessible Digital Eye Care and the NHS App

As part of its wider programme of work on accessible digital eye care and the NHS App, the APPG for Eye Health and Visual Impairment has launched a stakeholder survey to better understand the experiences of people who are blind or partially sighted when accessing digital NHS services.

The survey explores the accessibility of the NHS App and related digital eye care services, including appointments, referrals, clinical information, digital documents, local NHS systems and accessible communication. It also seeks views on the improvements needed to ensure digital health services are accessible, inclusive and designed with the needs of blind and partially sighted people at their heart.

The survey forms part of the APPG’s wider inquiry into accessible digital healthcare and complements the evidence gathered during the APPG’s recent parliamentary Oral Evidence Session. Together, the survey findings and oral evidence will inform a forthcoming APPG report, setting out key findings and recommendations for Government, NHS England and the wider health system.

We encourage people with lived experience, carers, clinicians, patient organisations, accessibility experts and others with an interest in accessible digital healthcare to complete the survey and share their perspectives.

The survey is open until Friday 3^rd of July and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Complete the survey here: APPG Eye Health Visual Impairment: Survey on Accessible Digital Eye Care and the NHS App – Fill in form

Changing Attitudes, Changing Lives: One Year On: Progress, Challenges and Next Steps

Wednesday 22nd April 2026

One year on from the publication of Changing Attitudes, Changing Lives, the APPG on Eye Health and Vision Impairment has published a new report assessing progress and setting out priorities for the year ahead. The findings show that too many blind and partially sighted people continue to face avoidable barriers to entering, remaining in and progressing in work.

The report highlights ongoing challenges across employment support, employer practices and access to services, and calls for a more coordinated, outcomes-focused approach across Government. With clear recommendations on strengthening Access to Work, improving employer accountability and embedding accessibility by design, the APPG is urging a renewed focus on delivery to ensure that blind and partially sighted people are not left behind.

You can access the designed version of the report here.

An accessible version of the report is available here.

Changing Attitudes, Changing Lives: One Year On report – Statement from Marsha De Cordova, Chair of the APPG for Eye Health and Visual Impairment

As Chair of the APPG on Eye Health and Vision Impairment, I was proud to bring together colleagues from across Parliament, employers and the sight loss community at the House of Commons earlier this year.

One year on from Changing Attitudes, Changing Lives report, it was a chance to reflect on progress and the work still to do.

We heard clearly that accessible recruitment, effective workplace adjustments and strong leadership are key to building inclusive workplaces.

Now the focus must be on working together to turn ambition into action, and ensure blind and partially sighted people are supported to thrive in work.

Following the government’s announcement yesterday that a new NHS online hospital service will be launched in England, with eye conditions among the first areas to be prioritised, the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Eye Health and Visual Impairment has welcomed the focus on improving access to eye care.

The new service, which will operate through the NHS App, aims to use digital platforms to support assessment, follow-up and specialist input, with the potential to reduce waiting times and better connect primary, community and secondary care services.

Responding to the announcement, Marsha DeCordova MP, Chair of the APPG on Eye Health and Visual Impairment, said:

“Too many people with eye conditions are currently stuck in a system that is fragmented, slow and too often leaves them waiting in fear while their sight deteriorates.

As Chair of the APPG on Eye Health and Visual Impairment, I welcome the government’s focus on tackling NHS backlogs and modernising care, and this is a positive step towards delivering a more joined-up, patient-centred eye health system. As chair, I will be pressing to ensure this ambition delivers real improvements for patients.”