New Standard Specification To Enhance Access to Minor and Urgent Eye Care Across England Released
23 February 2024
A new standard specification for community minor and urgent eye care, which aims to assure, support and enhance access to minor and urgent eye care locally across England, has been published today.
The specification was developed by the Local Optical Committee Support Unit (LOCSU) in partnership with the Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning (CCEHC), and through wide-sector collaboration including the College of Optometrists, and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, who also provided their clinical endorsement. It was produced following a ministerial request in September 2023.
The clinical and quality standards set out in the specification are designed to support local optical committees and local commissioners in their task of improving eye health and providing high quality clinical care for patients.
Primary Care Minister Andrea Leadsom said:
“This government is working hard to reduce pressure on the NHS and improve patient outcomes – including exploring a greater role for community optometry.
“That is why in September last year the government asked for this piece of work to be taken forward, and I am grateful to LOCSU and CCEHC for their role in leading it. This will help local commissioners get the best outcomes if they choose to commission these services as part of their local eye care provision. I’m also thankful to our hard-working optometrists delivering important front-line eyecare on our high streets for those that need it.”
Zoe Richmond, LOCSU Clinical Director, said:
“The new specification has been developed through wide sector collaboration and provides local leaders with an opportunity to improve access to minor and urgent eye care on the high street, delivering optimal first contact care with better utilisation of the highly qualified workforce available in optometric practice.
“The specification is deliberately high level, setting out the standard of care our patients should expect whilst allowing local leaders flexibility to respond to local needs with opportunity for growth and development. Through this work we aim to build on the well-established pockets of excellence in England, helping to improve consistency, reduce unwarranted variation and encourage a cycle of continuous improvement.”
This specification was developed through wide sector collaboration using an evidenced-based approach, learning from established local minor and urgent primary eye care services and expert opinion from across the eye care sector.
Wojciech Karwatowski, Chair of the Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning (CCEHC), said:
“The Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning is delighted to give its endorsement to the new Standard Specification for minor and urgent eyecare services delivered in community optometric practices. The clinical and quality standards set out in the specification are designed to support local commissioners in their task of improving eye health and providing high quality clinical care for patients.”
Professor Leon Davies, President of the College of Optometrists, said:
“We are pleased to support the development and clinical endorsement of this enhanced pathway and specification, enabling optometrists to provide eye care for a wide range of common ocular conditions; relieving pressure on our GP and hospital colleagues and delivering effective and convenient care into local communities.
“Optometry is a vital and longstanding pillar of NHS primary care. This development recognises and more effectively utilises the skills of the whole eye care workforce, including prescribing, and will improve eye care for patients and local communities.”
Professor Ben Burton, President of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, said:
“The Royal College of Ophthalmologists is pleased to support this specification for community minor and urgent eyecare services. Improving digital connectivity between optometry and ophthalmology will be crucial to this model succeeding and reducing pressure on hospital eye services, GPs and local A&E departments.
“We must also ensure that emergency eyecare departments in hospitals are properly resourced so that timely care with the right specialist is available for those patients whose acute condition could be sight or life threatening. It is vital that all pathways are led by the highest standards of clinical governance and underpinned by appropriate outcome measures”.
Felipe Dhawahir-Scala, President of the British Emergency Eye Care Society, said:
“The British Emergency Eye Care Society welcomes the development of a national standard to improve the care of patients who suffer from eye problems in the community and closer to home. This positive step forward will avoid unnecessary waiting times for patients in our Emergency Eye Departments . We are also thrilled to build closer relations with our Optometry colleagues in the community to provide our patients with the best care possible.
“As a Consultant ophthalmologist in Manchester, we have had the experience of this setup in with great benefit to our patients.”
The Community Minor and Urgent Eye Care Clinical Specification can be found here.