Page last updated: Thursday 6 December, 2007 5:19 PM

Another consultation...is it really necessary?

Just as one consultation 'finishes' it seems like another starts - we'd like to know what you think about it all.

For any of you out there who attended the NOS consultation meetings here's another one for you - the UK Vision Strategy.

This is being conducted by Vision 2020 UK - they state:

This unique initiative is being developed in partnership by people from all areas of the vision and sight loss sector, including people with sight loss, the voluntary sector and health and social care. The UK Vision Strategy is the UK response to the World Health Assembly Vision 2020 resolution to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020 and improve support and services for blind and partially sighted people.

You can download documents, feedback forms and registration details by visiting the website - click here.

Without appearing cynical, the proposal to eliminate avoidable sight loss is fantastic but 'improve support services for blind and partially sighted people' - haven't we heard this all before?

Is this yet another group, perhaps even the same visionless 'professional committee' members, finding yet another reason to spend the taxpayer's money or lavish the modest charity funder's hard earned? I don't know about you, but I've been to so many of these meetings that they begin to become meaningless. It seems no meeting is worth it's salt unless it discusses 'services' and/or consults with all stakeholders - what is going on? Where are the do'ers in all this? We've had reports, findings, consultations about this, consultations about that, what has really changed for the user? - I'd guess very little indeed.

It could well have been more beneficial to add up all the travel expenses, meal allowances, hotel accommodation and room booking fees and give everyone with a sight loss a christmas 'bonus'. You could even bottle the 'hot air' from the meetings and use it to warm peoples homes through the winter.

Hopefully you'll disagree and present a balanced argument that articulates how this will lead to the development of properly resourced, managed and executed services - the 'holy grail' if you like. You'll add that much good will come of it and we'll look back one day and say 'that's where things started to improve for people with a sight loss'.

Headless chickens or much needed think tank? Send us your thoughts info@rehabworker.co.uk

Do you think it's necessary, even important, for people who make up these committees and therefore make the decisions, to have first hand experience of working with people with a sight loss? It seems most decisions are made by people who have had no 'first hand' experience of meeting people with a sight loss. Sure, they'll probably have had the 'token' introduction that requires a few polite words and a handshake but have they seen what proper rehabilitative input can achieve, or worse, the impact an absence of such services has? Maybe it requires only a select few representatives to voice their opinion?

If you were the chair, who would you have on your committee and why? - Don't hold back, let's take a global view and choose the right person for the job - a bit like looking for the next England football team manager - what about Gordon Ramsey? info@rehabworker.co.uk

We think you know what improvements are required and how to achieve them so why don't you tell us how you would do it. E-mail your proposals to info@rehabworker.co.uk with 'services' in the subject line.