The author discusses the impact of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 on the pattern and practice of the personal social services for blind and partially sighted people. He detects an encouraging emergence of interest in visual disability issues, an interest which, disappointingly, is yet to be reflected in significant improvements in services. Service planning has not so far fully exploited the growing body of information about user numbers and needs. There must be more and better monitoring of service performance; and co-ordinating social and health care activity on a much broader basis is strongly advocated.
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