Optical bodies and the LOC Support Unit (LOCSU) have welcomed the appointment of the new health secretary Andy Burnham.
Burnham's announcement that top performing primary care trusts (PCTs) will be rewarded with greater operational freedom was also greeted with enthusiasm in the hope that this could give PCTs greater flexibility to commission local eye care schemes.
Georgina Gordon, LOCSU head of unit, commented: 'The greater freedoms announced for top performing PCTs represent a real opportunity for LOCs to progress enhanced services and innovative community schemes. LOCs should ask to meet with their local commissioners to talk about improved eye care services for the local community. The LOC Support Unit has developed clinical pathways for LOCs to present to commissioners and these have already been welcomed by a number of PCTs.'
Speaking at the NHS Confederation's conference in Liverpool, Burnham defined elite PCTs as those 'who had made the most significant impact in improving the quality of healthcare in their local communities, ensuring patients get the best possible treatment and leading the way on preventing disease for example quitting smoking services'.
Burnham also described the impact of the economic downturn on the NHS as a 'moment of opportunity, not threat' and set out how improving the quality of health services (with a greater focus on preventing illness and disease) will lead to both a better patient experience and greater efficiency, helping the NHS meet the financial challenges ahead.