Menu

Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 14 February 2025

15 February 2025

Important Announcement on Hampshire Services – PES Update

Dear Colleagues,

We regret to inform you that effective from 1st April 2025, the Integrated Care Board (ICB) has taken the decision to decommission the following Primary Eyecare Services enhanced service contracts in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight:
Enhanced Cataract Referral Service (IOW)
Post-op Cataract Service
Glaucoma Referral Refinement
Glaucoma Enhanced Referral Service
Glaucoma monitoring service
West Hants Enhanced Triage.

The Community Urgent Eyecare Service (CUES) contract (which also expires in March) will be extended for a period of 6 months, during which time the ICB will consider its long terms plans for this service.

We wish to highlight that the decommissioning of these services is not a reflection on the optical practices delivering these services, or Primary Eyecare Services as the contract holder. On the contrary, all services have been running efficiently and effectively throughout, and all have received very positive feedback from patients. This decision has been taken by the ICB in the context of ongoing financial constraints and a desire to invest in other services for ophthalmology.

We are meeting with the ICB to finalise their decommissioning plans next week and will be in touch once we have the information on what dates the services will be required to stop accepting patients. We are also actively working with local trust hospitals to see what could be directly commissioned, and both Primary Eyecare Services and the Local Optical Committee (LOC) will be in regular communication with updates and advice as we know more.

This decision has been made very quickly, with Primary Eyecare Services and LOC only receiving the ICB’s new service specifications last week that confirmed this activity would move to elective care contracts that are unsuitable for a primary care delivery model. Despite the best efforts of Primary Eyecare Services and the LOC, we have been unable dissuade the ICB from its intended course of action.

Thank you for your hard work and cooperation in providing these services. We are disappointed to be unable to continue to provide the high-quality patient care that have made the services so successful.

Primary Eyecare Services

Further to the PES Update on Enhanced Services

Further to the above information which from an LOC point of view is deeply disappointing, we will, once decommissioning arrangements are known, provide what further advice we can to our members.

In time we will also provide further advice on what to do, post 31 March 2025 if requests are received for repeat pressures or NOD data as two examples.

If you have questions in the meantime, please email hello@referral.support and copy in isilk@hampshireloc.org.uk

Hampshire LOC Latest News

Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 28 March 2025

REMINDER – Hampshire LOC Post Contract Meeting – 02 April 2025 Hampshire LOC will be holding a Teams meeting on Wednesday 02 April from 19:30 – 20:30hrs. to discuss what happens post 31 March when the ICB contract for enhanced services ends. We will cover items including what the LOC recommends with regards to patients …

29 March 2025

Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 21 March 2025

Hampshire LOC Post Contract Meeting – 02 April 2025 Hampshire LOC will be holding a Teams meeting on Wednesday 02 April from 19:30 – 20:30hrs. to discuss what happens post 31 March when the ICB contract for enhanced services ends. We will cover items including what the LOC recommends with regards to patients with high …

22 March 2025

Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 14 March 2025

Hampshire LOC Cataract Single Point of Access Questionnaire – April 2025 Following the Hampshire wide introduction of the Cataract Single Point of Access (SPOA), also known as ‘Dora’ we would like to advise contractors and clinicians, that Hampshire LOC will be sending out a questionnaire at the end of April to gather feedback on how …

14 March 2025

Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 28 February 2025

Important Information – Hampshire and Isle of Wight Contracts Primary EyeCare Service Update The latest update is available via this link. If you have any questions for the LOC please email Bryony Allen, the Chair via ballen@hampshireloc.org.uk as the LOC Business Manager is on leave. If you receive concerns or complaints from patients please advise …

1 March 2025

Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 21 February 2025

Important Information – Hampshire and Isle of Wight Contracts Primary EyeCare Service Update Dear Colleagues, Primary Eyecare Services, along with the Local Optical Committee (LOC), met with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) to discuss decommissioning and exit arrangements following the announcement that the glaucoma, cataract and enhanced triage contracts would …

22 February 2025

Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 07 February 2025

Places still available – ACES Southampton CPD Open Evening Places are still available for the open evening on 11 February 2025. Please use the link to register if interested – here

7 February 2025

Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 13 January 2025

ACES CPD Events Online and Face to Face Please use the following links to see details of online and face to face CPD events being hosted by ACES, Southampton during January and February. The first on-line webinar is tomorrow evening – 14 Jan 2025 Online Webinars – here Open Evening CPD – here

13 January 2025

Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 10 January 2025

NHS Hampshire & Isle of Wight ICB “Safe Space” Webinars NHS Hampshire & Isle of Wight ICB ‘Safe Space’ Webinars In the wake of the race riots last Summer, NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ran a series of safe space sessions to listen to and improve our understanding of the experiences of our own …

10 January 2025

Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 13 December 2024

University Hospital Southampton – Macula Update Rapid Access Macula Clinic (all macular conditions) The following email address is now available for all Rapid Access Macular appointments wetam@uhs.nhs.uk (please note: there is no ‘D’ in the email address) It will be checked twice a day Mon – Fri. Details on the LOC website have also been …

14 December 2024

Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 06 December 2024

Red Tape Challenge: get involved Best practice examples and ideas are now being sought as part of the rapid review into bureaucracy across the NHS, which was launched in October by the Secretary of State for Health and Care, Wes Streeting, and NHS England Chief Executive, Amanda Pritchard. The ‘Red Tape Challenge’, which is jointly …

6 December 2024

LOCSU Latest news

LOCSU Levy Reduction Commencing 1 April 2025

LOCSU is delighted to announce the reduction of the LOCSU levy from 0.5% to 0.4%.

31 March 2025