Thanks for your kind words and all your engagement on this!

📥 Read the full report here: healthwatch.co.uk/report/2025-...

💡 Recommendations:
- We need to see a greater use of optometrists to manage eye care and reduce waiting times.
-We need Improved communication and support for those waiting for eye care.
- The NHS should publish ophthalmology waiting list data by condition.

🚨The impact on people's lives:

- 70% of those waiting have noticed deterioration in vision.
- Over half said the wait affected their ability to work and carry out daily tasks.
- 69% reported a negative impact on mental health.

📊 Key Findings:

- Nearly 59,000 people are currently waiting for specialist eye care.
- Only 66.8% have been waiting less than the 18-week target set by the Government, compared to a target of 92%.

I'm unsure about the next permanent NHS CEO being inside DHSC. If Wes can't exercise enough control over NHSE then perhaps it is the instructions, funding and context that need reviewing, not the desk arrangements.

NHSE has made the argument for the powerful, independent, centre badly. Few in the health world, let alone in the street could articulate it yet there are roles supporting the frontline that NHS E could do more of - particularly in standardising policies that are currently locally created.

It is hard to work in this space and not be somewhat convinced as Wes appears to be that the DHSC/duplication cannot continue whilst the settlement is so tight and the rest of the 2012 reforms are being so comprehensively unwound.

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A short thread on why you should apply...

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That's fair and probably right. My main fear now is how funding will have to be a 2028/9 election issue and its hard to imagine that political tactics won't beat out long-term solutions.

Good thread Charles and I agree with much of of what you say. I do wonder however if the admirably quick timescale of Dilnot's work contributed to it landing without creating lasting political consensus on implementing key changes. No guarantee Casey can do better but at least she has the time....

Social care reform can't just address charging caps or even delivery for current recipients but must fudamentally ensure the Care Act is being delivered in full and that means unmet need has to be tackled. You can see Healthwatch's work on that here: healthwatch.co.uk/report/2024-...