PCT survey highlights threat to patient care

A lack of preparation by eye health commissioners for forthcoming changes to the NHS could result in longer treatment delays for patients.

This was one of the findings of a research survey released this week by charity Visionary and funded by pharmaceutical firm Novartis.

It found that 87 per cent of eye health commissioners, from a sample of 68 primary care trusts (PCTs), had made no plans for how patients would be referred for treatment for serious eye conditions.

With PCTs set to be replaced by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), the charity called for eye health to be prioritised and handover plans to be put in place 'to prevent patients falling through the cracks'.