2 December 2024

CCEHC responds to NHS England’s 10-Year Health Plan

CCEHC Public health

The Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning has called for the development of a coordinated approach to eyecare in its response to NHS England’s 10-Year Health Plan.

The CCEHC’s response to the consultation echoes concerns of our members, whose individual responses will reflect details of specific themes and policy issues.

The CCEHC welcomes the consultation on the 10-Year Health Plan, and in particular, we would like to see the development of a coordinated approach to eyecare to:

  • facilitate better access, prevention and treatment for those with eye problems, both simple and complex
  • better use the capacity and talents available to deliver this in a patient-focussed, clinically effective and cost-effective manner

We believe that by working collectively across all organisations and professions involved in the sector, this goal can be delivered over the 10-Year Health Plan.

Shift 1: Moving more care from hospital to communities

We believe key elements in driving this agenda forward are:

  • The development of common pathways and standards so as to continue and deepen the collaboration between primary, secondary and community eye care
  • Delivering better data and clinical communications across pathways, professions and sites.
  • Effective ways of assessing value and payment systems to support the change
  • Improved workforce planning to ensure that all professionals have opportunity to further develop their skills, and we have the eye care capacity to meet patient need within the new model of care

Shift 2: Making better use of technology

Technology is available and has been effectively used to support self-care, referral, communication, diagnosis and learning across, and within, multiple settings. The scope and technical capacity of such systems will doubtless increase with time, but implementing this fundamental communication system is key to improving services in terms of quality and efficiency.

Currently, we see the main challenge in this area is to find the clinical, managerial and financial capacity to deliver what is known to be effective and proven. Ensuring universal access to, and interoperability of, this technology will support the aim of the analogue to digital transition.

Shift 3: Preventing sickness

Some areas of eyecare already have effective screening programs, for instance, diabetic retinopathy. Others, such as child vision screening, await universal rollout. There is effective case finding delivered by high street optometric practices for conditions such as glaucoma, but this is dependent on patients initiating access to consultations. There is a need to improve awareness of eye conditions and to encourage patients and the public to present appropriately, with symptomatic and asymptomatic eye conditions, to improve long term visual outcomes.

Our individual member organisations will highlight specific projects which would support these aims. However, we think that the themes we have highlighted support the aims of the 10-Year Health Plan and can serve as a test against which individual projects can be assessed.

Find out more

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