CCGs across England are due to attend the first ever national eye health summit, hosted by NHS England, today.

The conference, ‘Immediate solutions to address demand and capacity pressures in the Hospital Eye Service’ will showcase innovative and collaborative service models from around the country.

The event exclusively aimed at commissioners brings together leading eye specialists and partners responsible for delivering commissioning guidelines, to share pathways and best models of practice that deliver optimum cost-effective care for eye patients both in the community and in hospital eye services.

Commissioners will hear how colleagues have overcome the challenges facing commissioners from an aging population and the increase in long-term review patients due to new available treatments.

David Geddes, National Head of Primary Care Commissioning, NHS England who will be speaking at the conference said, ‘With an aging population, demand for hospital eye services is increasing year on year. Primary Care is central to the development and transformation of health services in England. NHS England is organising this event, in partnership with our professional colleagues, to support CCGs and leads for the sustainability and transformation plan area to showcase a number of innovative solutions in eye care services and to explore how  primary care can fulfil its potential to improve the patient pathway.’

The programme will feature CCG speakers from the Better Care Together Vanguard in South Cumbria and North Lancashire, and the East Lancashire Integrated Eyecare Service, led by East Lancashire Hospitals Trust. Sharing their knowledge on how to commission effective patient care through with cost and resource efficiencies.

Eye health leaders agree the current system needs a radical reform and redesign. There are a number of collaborative solutions being suggested – expand services by transferring more routine and step-down care into high-street optical practices and expanding the role of the multi-disciplined team of eye care professionals.

CCGs will go away equipped with comprehensive practical knowledge to overcome capacity and demand issues in their regions. The event is being hosted by NHS England in partnership with The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, the Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning, the Local Optical Committee Support Unit, the College of Optometrists and Moorfields Eye Hospital.

Presentations

• Material presented by delegates on the day of the conference are available to download.