Number of people newly certified severely sight impaired and sight impaired by cause and health board

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Cause of certification
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Next update expected:September 2026

Updates

30th September 2025
Dataset first published.

Main information

Designation
Official statistics
Data provider 1
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership
Data source 1
Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) form
Data provider 2
Moorfields Eye Hospital
Data source 2
No specific source from data provider
Time period covered
April 2012 to March 2025

Overview

Summary of dataset and variables

This dataset shows the number and percentage of people newly certified as severely sight impaired or sight impaired with a certificate of vision impairment (CVI) and focuses on three main causes of sight impairment: age related macula degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic eye disease.

Wales General Ophthalmic Services (WGOS) 3 enables patients who would benefit from optical and non-optical aids as well as holistic rehabilitation support (including sight impairment registration) and advice to access a low vision service in or close to their place of residence. WGOS 3 also includes Certification of Vision Impairment (CVI).

The data is broken down by selected cause of sight impairment, health board, and financial year. Certification is a formal process that identifies individuals with significant vision loss who may be eligible for additional support. The dataset provides insight into the main causes of new certifications across different health boards and over time.

Data collection or calculation

For 2023-24 onwards, data is extracted from the low vision system maintained by NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP) and is based on data collected from a CVI form by NWSSP. The data covering periods up to 2022-23 was supplied by Moorfields Eye Hospital and was extracted from the Database for Epidemiological data on Visual Impairment Certificates (DEVICE). The counts are based on Welsh residents newly certified on Welsh and English forms. After NWSSP took over the data collection from 2023-24, data for Welsh residents certified in England is provided separately by Moorfields Eye Hospital. Only individuals above condition-specific age thresholds are included in the counts: those aged 12 and over for diabetic eye disease, 40 and over for glaucoma, and 65 and over for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). For each health board and Wales overall, counts of certifications for each cause are calculated alongside percentages representing the proportion of all certifications in the corresponding area.

Statistical quality

For each cause the counts include sight loss due to each cause as the main cause, or if no main cause then as a contributory cause, which could result in individuals being counted again under other conditions if there is more than one contributory cause. To protect confidentiality, counts fewer than five are suppressed, and secondary suppression is applied where necessary to prevent disclosure through deduction. Data for the latest year excludes Welsh residents certified in England. This is because this data is supplied by Moorfields Eye Hospital later in the year and therefore, the data for the latest year will be updated to include Welsh residents certified in England in the next publication. On 1 April 2019, health service responsibility for Bridgend residents moved from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg to Cwm Taf. Health board names also changed: Cwm Taf became Cwm Taf Morgannwg, and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg became Swansea Bay. See the weblinks section for official statements.

Related reports

Published by

Organisation
Welsh Government
Contact email
stats.healthinfo@gov.wales