A Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) report, which includes analysis provided by PA Consulting, offers six proposals for change:

1. Improve connectivity by ensuring all primary eye care providers have an NHS e-mail address, which would have an expected annual £20m saving to the NHS in England

2. Ensure all primary eye care providers have access to advice and guidance from secondary care to reduce unnecessary referrals

3. Streamline referrals by creating single points of access (SPoA), which would create an expected annual £55m-£171m saving to the NHS in England

4. Embed the Eye Care Support Pathway within clinical pathways, which would drive an expected annual £3.99m saving to the NHS in England

5. Fully use the skillset of optometrists in primary care, for which annual savings could be as much as £77.2m to the NHS in England

6. Incorporate an increased focus on tackling (Do Not Attends (DNAs) into planning guidance and the Elective Recovery programme, which could provide potential annual savings of as much as £80.7m to the NHS in England, depending on the chosen approach to address DNAs.

Matt Stringer, RNIB chief executive, said: ‘These proposals represent practical changes that can be implemented relatively quickly and simply. Doing this now would make a positive impact on patients' eye health. Some will be more straightforward to implement, but action needs to be taken now.

‘RNIB is urging the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and each Integrated Care Board to adopt these interventions as part of a roadmap to make eye health fit for the future.'