Developing an integrated paediatric low vision service.

A survey of usage of low vision aids (LVAs) by 56 children with visual impairment, who were attending mainstream schools in Wirral, was undertaken. A total of 25% of children owned an LVA and 5% were using these on a regular basis. These low levels of ownership and usage led to the development of a low vision service involving the collaboration of education and health care. This paper describes the development of that service, its elements and implementation. The results from the new service show that of the 29 children issued with an LVA, 82.7% are using them on a regular basis. Having an integrated service is shown to significantly improve LVA usage in the group of children seen so far. The service results are discussed with suggestions for future service development.