URGENT: Invite your MP to important eye care event 6 June

Act now to stop people losing sight due to delayed and cancelled hospital appointments

Make sure the Government prioritises eye care by asking your MP to attend a Parliamentary reception to learn how they can help to stop people losing sight.

You can write to your MP by using the template letter below or by taking RNIB’s simple online action that will send the letter to your MP for you visit http://bit.ly/EyeAPPGWeb

Alternatively contact by email, Facebook or Twitter.

1. Sending the message in an email

Email subject line: Act now to stop people losing sight

The NHS eye care system is currently failing patients, service provision is not keeping pace with demand, meaning that hospitals are delaying and cancelling appointments, resulting in people losing sight.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment (APPG) held an inquiry in to this problem and on June 6 will release its findings at a report launch event.

Ask your MP to attend the event and help to stop people losing sight due to delayed and cancelled appointments. You can either use the template letter attached and send it to your MP or take RNIB’s simple online action which will send the letter to your MP for you. Visit http://bit.ly/EyeAPPGEm

2. Tweeting

Ask your MP to attend the @EyeHealthAPPG report launch and help stop people losing sight due to cancelled or delayed appointments http://bit.ly/EyeAPPGTw

3. Facebook

Ask your MP to attend the All Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment report launch and help stop people losing sight due to cancelled or delayed appointments in eye clinics across England http://bit.ly/EyeAPPGFb

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4. Contacting by Letter

Insert name

Insert address

Insert date

Dear XXX

Re: Capacity crisis in NHS Eye Care: APPG report launch, 6 June

I am one of your constituents and a patient at XXXX using eye care services((insert name of hospital or delete if more appropriate). I am aware that the increase in demand for eye care services in recent years means patients are experiencing delays in accessing sight saving care and treatment. Research shows that as a result of these delays and hospital cancellations some patients are permanently losing sight, despite the availability of sight saving treatments.

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Eye Health and Visual Impairment has conducted an inquiry to identify solutions to the capacity crisis in England, to ensure that services meet demand.  The inquiry report will be launched at a reception in Parliament on 6 June 2018 from 4pm to 6pmin the Churchill Room.

You will have received an invitation from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)and the Optical Confederation; I hope that you are able to attend the reception to learn about the situation in your Sustainability and Transformation Partnership area, and about what you can do to tackle the crisis.Please RSVP to Jessica Ford at RNIB (Jessica.ford@rnib.org.ukor 0207 391 2184)

I would very much appreciate hearing what action you will take after the event to promote implementation of the recommendations from the inquiry.

Yours sincerely,