The Health and Social Care Bill is putting forward a proposal to allow local optical practices to play an increased role in eye care in an attempt to reduce waiting times and lists at eye hospitals in the UK. The new commissioning system will be pushed by local GP's and clinical commissioning groups.
The Local Optical Committees Support Unit, or LOCSU, hope this will not only provide a much quicker and more efficient service for the general public but also a boost for optometrists skilled enough to take on this extra workload. An ability to offer 'enhanced services' is something LOCSU see as widely available in the majority of LOC's, but maybe something that hasn't been tapped into or used as it or they might be.
The changes being made to the NHS have one clear goal, to improve waiting lists and times. Currently, if a patient visits their GP with a irritable eye condition, the first step is a course of drops, followed by a referral to the eye hospital if that fails to cure the issue. The new system that is being proposed will see the patient referred instead to a LOC which in many cases is much more accessible and convenient for the patient as well as being much more cost effective for the NHS itself which is already having to look at ways to cut costs and expenditure.
The first step that would need to be made is very much that of assessment, and what capacity each practice is able to afford and what roles they may be able to play, something that will of course differ from practice to practice. While this would be seen as primarily an excellent business opportunity, the scheme will certainly not be compulsory and it is anticipated that some, even if enhanced services are available, will not take up this option.
Waiting Room by muslimgalerie Bouh (Image)