North Central London LOC Collaboration and Primary Eyecare Services Celebrated at HSJ Awards
27 November 2024
Outstanding work taking place in eye care was acknowledged at the HSJ Awards with a win for collaborative working involving North Central London Local Optical Committee (NCL LOC) and a shortlist for Primary Eyecare Services at the event in London earlier this month.
Collaborative work to develop a Single Point of Access (SPoA) by organisations in North Central London won the 2024 Acute Sector Innovation of the Year HSJ Award. Developed by Moorfields Eye Hospital Foundation Trust and Royal Free Hospital, with input from North Central London Local Optical Committee (NCL LOC), this innovation allows primary care optometrists to send referrals direct to hospital Trusts, rather than through GPs.
This represents a true collaboration between hospitals, primary care optometry, and the integrated care system and results in multiple benefits, including increased patient safety, optimised secondary care capacity, reduced patient journey time, enhanced educational provision, and improved communication between primary and secondary care.
Prakash Rughani, Chair at North Central London LOC, said: “At NCL LOC, we take great pride in our collaborative efforts with key NHS stakeholders. A prime example of this is the direct referral pathway, which demonstrates how local innovation is closely aligned with sector-wide strategies to improve patient outcomes. We would like to sincerely thank our members for their active engagement with the new care model and their continued dedication to enhancing services for local communities. “
Primary Eyecare Services (PES) were also shortlisted at the event for the Primary and Community Care Provider of the Year HSJ Award for their work on Optometry First @ Scale.
Dharmesh Patel, Chief Executive Officer at PES, said: “We are deeply honoured to receive the recognition of being finalists for the Primary and Community Care Provider of the Year Award. As a not-for-profit organisation, we are committed to putting patients at the heart of everything we do. Optometry plays a vital yet often underappreciated role in healthcare, and this nomination helps to highlight its significant contribution to the NHS.”
Janice Foster, LOCSU CEO, said: “Huge congratulations to NCL LOC and all involved in the North Central London primary and secondary care collaboration for winning at the HSJ Awards, and to PES as shortlisted finalists.
“These shortlists and awards highlight that, with everyone around the table, we really can begin to tackle some of the challenges the NHS faces and make tangible differences to the care of local people. The recognition of the hard work is very well deserved.”