Health Bill

I shall speak to Amendment No. 93 in this group. It has a very special purpose, which is to ensure that all children receive an eye examination before they start school for the first time. Why is that so important? The period just before compulsory school is a particularly crucial time for assessing vision for two reasons. The first is that problems picked up at this stage can be sufficiently corrected while the eye is still malleable. If that happens, it can make a difference to the person that lasts a lifetime. On the other hand, problems ignored at this age can plague that person for life. The second reason is that we all know stories of children underperforming consistently at school simply because they cannot see the blackboard. It happens all too often and it is entirely preventable if the Government have the will to ensure that children take advantage of the sight tests to which they are already entitled. All children under 16 are entitled to a free NHS sight test. However, official statistics show that only around a quarter of under-16s take up that entitlement. My amendment would require primary care trusts to use the opportunity of the proposed NHS life checks to make what could be a critical difference to many children’s lives. It is the most effective change that the Government could make to promote eye health for children, so I hope that the Minister will give the proposal serious thought.