The government will next week announce plans to force a hospital to transfer many of its operations to a new private sector treatment centre, it has been reported.

Consultants at the Oxford Eye hospital are resisting the government decision that they should send up to 1,000 eye patients to a new chain of independent sector treatment centres specialising in cataract operations.

Forum Response: The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association

Robin Hutchinson, head of communications at Guide Dogs, told ePolitix.com: "The debate about whether eye operations should be carried out by NHS or private health services highlights the fact that early intervention strategies for eye health are vital.

"Recent research by the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association ("The Costs of Blindness: an analysis of the costs of visual impairment and blindness in the United Kingdom," 2003, available at www.guidedogs.org.uk/onevision) shows that properly funded early intervention and effective eye health education could prevent or slow sight loss for many people, and could save the country billions of pounds.

"Whatever the outcome of the Oxfordshire debate, the importance of eye health issues needs to be recognised and acted upon throughout the UK."