A Vision for Change: Making the case for an Eye Health Modern Service Framework (MSF)
October 2026
Today, the health system in England is struggling to meet growing patient demand for eye care services. As of May 2026, over 600,000 people were waiting for secondary eye care treatment in England, representing the second largest waiting list in the NHS.
3.5 million are people expected to be living with sight loss in the UK by 2050, compared with 2.5 million currently. While the risk of visual impairment increases as people get older, this figure includes babies, children and young people who live with blindness from infancy and across their whole lives.
Eye conditions currently cost the NHS and social care alone £3.9 billion a year, with costs compounded due to delays in access to care during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has also been estimated that eye conditions cost the UK economy upwards of £25.3 billion per year (expected to rise to £29.9 billion a year by 2030 and £33.5 billion a year by 2050).
At the same time, it is estimated that around 50% of sight loss is avoidable if detected and treated early enough. Reducing the prevalence of eye conditions by just 1% per year could save the UK economy up to £3 billion by the end of the decade.
Mindful therefore of both the potential impact on patients, as well as the public purse, MSD brought together several leading experts to assess the need for an Eye Health Modern Service Framework (MSF). The result of said discussion with clinical, trade, academic, patient organisation and professional societies can be found here.
“This report is only the beginning of the conversation. In recognition of the evidence presented in this report showing that eye health meets the threshold, we are calling on the Government to make its own assessment of the applicability of an MSF for eye health and bring together experts from across the eye health sector to co-create a shared vision for the future.”
The Government is introducing a new suite of Modern Service Frameworks (MSFs) as a major lever for translating national ambitions for the NHS into routine clinical practice. Led by the National Quality Board (NQB), MSFs will accelerate progress in conditions where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. Early priority areas for MSFs included cardiovascular disease, sepsis, frailty and dementia and severe mental health, with two of these already having been published by mid-2026.
The Government confirmed that for any proposals for additional MSFs to be considered by the NQB, they must meet a clear set of criteria. This report brings together evidence against each of these criteria and ultimately sets out the case for why eye health should be considered as a priority candidate for the next wave of MSFs.
We implore policymakers to consider the very real benefits that could arise from instigating a new national framework for eye health – together it should be said – with a community that is more than willing to discuss a bold new vision for change.
For further information contact: mark.johnson1@msd.com
GB-NON-13747 I October 2026