Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) and Preventable Sight loss Indicator
When an individual’s sight has fallen below a particular level their consultant ophthalmologist might offer registration as sight impaired or severely sight impaired. Registration entitles individuals to certain benefits. Step one in the registration process is completion of a form known in England as the Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) or in Wales as the CVIW. Similar systems exist in Scotland and Northern Ireland. With the permission of the patient a copy of this certificate is sent to the individual’s social services department (or their agents) and this should trigger a needs assessment. Patients who have gone through the process have reported value – for some it may be a means to be put in touch with other people with similar conditions and share experiences, for others it is access to training or support for daily living.
For Patients
For CVI registration advice and support contact Moorfields Patient Support Services.
The following helpful information guides have been put together by people who've experienced losing their sight and published by a range of organisations that support people with sight loss.
- Sight loss: What we needed to know (PDF, 767KB)
- Find services in your area that help people with sight loss
Preventable Sight Loss Indicator
The Public Health Outcomes Framework (Domain 4: Healthcare public health and preventing premature mortality) has the overarching objective to reduce numbers of people living with preventable ill health and people dying prematurely and has the ‘preventable sight loss’ indicator Preventable sight loss indicator E12a - E12d
- Recent trends in Vision Impairment Certification in England (February 2020)
- Recent trends in vision impairment certifications in England and Wales (Eye, April 2020)
The CVI is the key data source for the preventable sight loss indicator and epidemiological analysis. Where the patient (or the parent or guardian if the patient is a child) has given their consent, a copy of the form is sent to Moorfields Eye Hospital for epidemiological analysis of cases where sight loss is due to age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and any other cause. The Certifications Office is based at Moorfields Eye Hospital but operates under the auspices of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists
c/o Certifications Office
Moorfields Eye Hospital
City Road
London
EC1V 2PD