Associate Site: Lincoln

Low Vision Services Pilot

Associate pilot site status will further raise the profile of low vision requirements and commitment to a pilot and will provide added drive to enable the service to be established more quickly.

The proposals look at the integrated seamless care pathway for patients bringing together social services, voluntary sector and specialist low vision practitioners in a one-stop setting. All these services will be offered from Local Blind Society locations. There will also be provision of domiciliary services, where required.

Via protocols and guidelines, a re-designed one-stop service will provide a clear pathway for low vision patients with clear signposting of how to access services for practitioners.

Increased service provision, improved and increased local access to services, one-stop service to reduce patient visits and improved information available to patients and users.

The redesigned service we have planned will address and meet the requirements for new low vision services as detailed in the Eyecare Services Report. It will also tie-in with addressing issues such as reduction in falls in the elderly as there are proven links between visual impairment and falls.

To have an established service in approximately seven locations countywide, providing timely one-stop sessions led by specialist Low Vision Practitioners (optometrists). A service with full integration of all agencies involved with decreased waits for patients requiring a secondary care opinion for complex eye problems prior to or, in conjunction with, a low vision assessment.

The service will be run to national care pathway standards based on agreed protocols. One year's complete data would give the opportunity for an audit of measurable outcomes, including clinical outcomes, waiting times, demand met, etc. Also, a patient database and recall system would be in place to ensure patients’ re-assessments are carried out where necessary and patients are getting the maximum benefit from the visual aids they have.

This will be a PCT driven project using national care pathway as a driver for change to move to a primary care-led service by specialist low-vision practitioners. A Project Board will be established with key agency involvement and project management put in place.

The proposed care pathway is for a primary care based service and all parties currently involved in the planning of low vision services have agreed to the move of services from secondary to primary care.

There has been a full sign up from primary and secondary care, social services and voluntary sectors to provide an independent service structure. We already have a cross agency working within the county, successfully established on the back of the Action for Cataracts Programme.

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