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http://www.locsu.co.uk/enhanced-serv...d-services-map Atlas of Optical Variation - developing NHS services commissioned by Primary Care Trusts/Clinical Commissioning Groups for opticians to examine, monitor and refer eye conditions to secondary hospital Eye Clinics including dry eye, red eye and conjunctivitis under Any Qualifed Provider arrangements. This means, hopefully, checking the regional NHS Trust website to find out which opticians are qualified to offer this as the service develops.
Local NHS optometrist monitoring is what we need, sharing NHS notes and communicating with secondary hospital Eye Clinics. Also in future we may not be restricted to GPs without ophthalmoscopes or training for eye problems and prescriptions. And we will get better referrals to the appropriate consultants for the suspected conditions. We can, of course, see high street opticians now for paid eye exams or go straight to A&E Eye Clinics with pain, sudden vision change or unresolved red eye (check hospital website for criteria).
Good that recognition of systemic disorders is listed in the developing criteria. An optometrist lecturer at City University London School of Optometry tells me there is very much more emphasis in the training now on disease recognition, so hopefully recently trained optoms will become very good allies for us. A danger is that overloaded hospital eye clinics may try to offload people back into the community services so the 'recognition of limitations' and onward ophthalmology referral part is important.
Local NHS optometrist monitoring is what we need, sharing NHS notes and communicating with secondary hospital Eye Clinics. Also in future we may not be restricted to GPs without ophthalmoscopes or training for eye problems and prescriptions. And we will get better referrals to the appropriate consultants for the suspected conditions. We can, of course, see high street opticians now for paid eye exams or go straight to A&E Eye Clinics with pain, sudden vision change or unresolved red eye (check hospital website for criteria).
Good that recognition of systemic disorders is listed in the developing criteria. An optometrist lecturer at City University London School of Optometry tells me there is very much more emphasis in the training now on disease recognition, so hopefully recently trained optoms will become very good allies for us. A danger is that overloaded hospital eye clinics may try to offload people back into the community services so the 'recognition of limitations' and onward ophthalmology referral part is important.