21.11.13
Ophthalmology guidance for more efficient eye care
New guidance has been developed to help commissioners and providers reduce avoidable sight loss and improve eye care services.
NHS ACE, a partnership between NHS Alliance and Norvatis, has published the guidance, which sets out how more efficient services can be achieved.
It includes guidance on how to support care closer to home where appropriate, and release capacity within secondary care, as well as identifying opportunities for the redesign of service and the risks of not restructuring care.
Michael Sobanja, policy lead, NHS Alliance said: “We really wanted to create something that would provide practical support for both commissioners and providers, and show that change wasn’t just possible ‘in theory’. This is why ophthalmology seemed like such a good place to start as eye care services lend themselves to new ways of working.”
Robert Johnston, a consultant ophthalmologist in Gloucestershire commented: “Ophthalmology is a data rich area where we have a real opportunity to improve and streamline services. Hopefully this document will help commissioners and providers think about how they can use this data in the best way possible to deliver high quality eye care services in their local areas.”
Hugh Janes, senior commissioning manager for Fareham & Gosport, South Eastern and Portsmouth CCGs, said: “This will be a useful tool for commissioners looking to evaluate services in their area; it makes you think about the commissioning process, and whether real improvements can be made to the way systems currently operate.”
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