Primary Care Optical Practice is a hugely undervalued aspect of eye health.
4 March 2021
Primary Care Optical Practices have the skill set, workforce, clinical capability, equipment and, most importantly, the willingness to improve the eye health opportunity and eye health journey of our local communities. However, it needs to be recognised that Primary Care Optical Practices can no longer be expected to provide services under goodwill or through the potential misuse of GOS.
We appreciate those who choose to work beyond GOS, do so in the best interests of their patients and to support their local eye department at this difficult time. However we also must be mindful of GOS regulation.
Rest assured that NTW LOC are meeting regularly with colleagues from NuTH. Their senior management and clinical team recognise our challenges and we are working together to present a case for change and to progress the recent proposal. We also continue to liaise with other local trusts and secondary care colleagues to promote and progress Primary Care Optical Practice involvement in local eye health systems.
NTWLOC are striving to change the situation locally and earn Primary Care Optical Practice the respect and remuneration deserved. However, this will not be possible while practices continue to provide information and services free of charge.
Northumberland, Tyne and Wear LOC Latest News
NuTH Cataract Services – REMINDER February 2025
Following a number of recent queries, please find below some reminders about the NuTH Cataract Services. Pre-Op If you are a provider of this service, please ensure all Pre-Cataract Assessments and onward referrals are sent via OPERA direct to NuTH for all patients who make this choice. If you do not participate in …
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19 February 2025
2025 Regional NHS Funding available for Higher Qualifications for Primary Care Workforce
Contractors should have received emails w/c 3/2/2025 with further details. This funding is limited, but the 4 LOCs have been informed that it can be used for university courses with Jan/Feb and September/October 2025 start dates, until it is used up ; We are pleased to announce that we have secured funding for workforce development …
8 February 2025
Whole workforce staff training available via the BOOST platform.
Membership to the Boost community is open to anyone with an interest in driving forward change in health and care in the North East and North Cumbria. This includes people working in the NHS, local authorities, public health, voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE), people with lived experience, private sector providers and many more. …
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28 January 2025
Eye Care Community of Practice, launching on Monday, 16 December 2024
access is via the Eye Care Hub situated on the FutureNHS platform. You can sign up for this HERE What’s Next? The workspace will be updated regularly with new information and resources.
15 December 2024
Update to the Extended Eyes Care Services information on this website (Dec 2024)
The webpage surrounding the Extended Eye Care services has been updated including a link to the PES Patient Eligibility Tool. HERE
12 December 2024
EeRS Electronic Referral Platform pilot
The rollout of the ‘EyeV’ electronic referral platform for the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) pilot across Optometry continues. Details regarding how to onboard an Optometrist or an Optometry practice can be found HERE There is no funding to support practices with onboarding and accessing this. EyeV is not a commissioned Enhanced Optometry Service …
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2 October 2024
Glaucoma Services Patient Discharges from NuTH (Oct 2024)
For those Optometry practices registered to accept stable glaucoma and OHT monitoring. NuTH have now begun to discharge patients from into this service, so please ensure that you regularly check your OPERA platform. Patients will appear in the “action required” section on OPERA. Please check the documents that have been attached to the …
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2 October 2024
Glaucoma Enhanced Referral Service (GERS)
August 2024 Please see below for the pathway for glaucoma patients across Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle Gateshead. Please remember that patients who have a sight test at your practice and who are identified as having raised IOP and/or glaucomatous visual field loss with no other indication of glaucoma should be seen within GRR. …
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2 September 2024
Staff Wellbeing Hub
Quick, Free and Confidential Support for You! 💬 As we start 2025, many of our health and social care systems are under strain. Staff, working to deliver the best care they can, feel the pressure personally. • 1 in 3 NHS staff will experience mental ill health • 1 in 4 NHS staff will consider …
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17 July 2024
Glaucoma Repeat Readings
July 2024 Dear Colleagues, During a recent audit of the GRR service it has become apparent that some practices and practitioners are doing the GRR repeat readings on the same day. The idea of the GRR service is to check whether a raised IOP is a repeatable finding, so the checks need to be done …
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17 July 2024