In January the Department of Health released new guidance designed to put patients in the driving seat. No - not more news about regular eye examinations for motorists, but guidance to help NHS and local authority commissioners ensure that people with long term medical conditions are more involved in decisions about their illness and treatment.
The document, Supporting People With Long Term Conditions Commissioning Personalised Care Planning, will help the government achieve its stated goal that by 2010 every one of the 15 million people with a long term condition will be offered a personalised care plan.
The guidance explains how NHS and social care services can provide personalised care and services for people with long term conditions. This includes promoting choice and control by putting the patient at the centre of the care planning process, sharing information with patients so they are involved in decisions, providing support for people to self manage their condition and integrating health and social care services.
It does not take much thought to realise these issues discussed in this document should be relevant to our patients with eye conditions, such as macula degeneration, glaucoma and low vision provision - not just the major conditions like cancer, diabetes or heart disease. Thinking particularly about these optometric patients, I wonder if the NHS has considered, or even asked the question as to what would be their preferred route to access the treatment and advice they require? The majority are elderly and a visit to the local hospital may involve an extended journey, perhaps having to use an ambulance, to be seen by one of the many professionals. This may occur a number of times for different appointments. Compare this to seeing an optometrist known to the patient, together with convenience, relatively simple access and choice that the visit to the local optometric practice gives. In addition if the savings in costs that could arise are taken into account it is without question a route that should be explored.
Ann Keen, our own Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health with responsibility for optical, commented, 'As a former nurse, I know how much it means to patients to be involved in decisions about their illness and treatment'.
Yet again we have to remind those in positions of authority that there is a huge bank of optical expertise on the high street which could be expanded to help achieve this latest government agenda. Perhaps Ms Keen could use her former experience to remind PCTs to take into account patient considerations and take action to implement the new DoH guidance for those patients who have long term eye conditions. She will also understand from her nursing experience that a significant group to enable change will be the hospital consultants, in our case ophthalmologists, and this can an uphill struggle. Another reminder to PCTs to engage consultants in the benefits to patients of primary care would be helpful.