Writtle University College and ARU have merged. Writtle’s full range of college, degree, postgraduate and short courses will still be delivered on the Writtle campus. See our guide to finding Writtle information on this site.

National Eye Health and Hearing Study

The UK National Eye Health and Hearing Study (UKNEHS) has been developed to address a desperate need for high-quality data on hearing loss and eye health in the UK.

This data will help to plan future services in the most effective way and improve outcomes for those affected.

UKNEHS is a collaborative nationwide project developed by ARU in cooperation with the College of Optometrists, Vision UK, the Thomas Pocklington Trust, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and a number of other partner organisations across the eye health and hearing sector. The study encompasses all four nations of the UK and aims to measure 25,000 people.

The study will focus on four key objectives: effectiveness, efficiency, economy and compliance, with digital transformation opportunities at its heart. More specifically, it will identify the prevalence and causes of vision impairment and blindness in the UK population aged 50 and over, providing an up-to-date and comprehensive picture of the UK’s eye health.

The results will feed into a wider programme of activities which will enable us to seriously consider the future screening and prevention of eye disease in the UK.

The Executive Board is chaired by Professor Sir Michael Rawlins and the Steering Committee by Mr Raj Mehta.

Professor Rupert Bourne is supported by a Project Management Committee and co-investigators (Mr Richard Wormald, Dr Mike Bowen, Prof Tunde Peto, Prof Shahina Pardhan, Miss Tasanee Braithwaite). Fror more information, visit the study website.

Principal Investigator: Professor Rupert Bourne