A constant message we see everyday in one form or another is that the NHS is cash strapped. It needs to be more efficient and save money by whatever means it can. Hence, it is ironic that a consultation initiative, set up with the intention of getting ideas for news ways of working and efficiencies to save money appears to have foundered on the rocks. The outcome of the “call to action for improving eye health and sight loss”, certainly begs the question as to where was the long term thinking as to how the feedback was going to be used.
Those with good memories will remember last year the “call to action for improving eye health and sight loss” events, that were held up and down the country. The aim of these events was to gather input from all those associated with eye health and for those findings to be published to educate the way forward. No doubt one expectation was that the financial investment in setting up the initiative would create value through efficiency suggestions put forward that would help to ease both the NHS financial position and pressure on secondary care.
Many, if not all, the eye health networks held more than one event and much effort was put into arranging the evenings, presentations on the night, in writing up what was found and not forgetting the attendees who gave their time. All this was mirrored in similar events for pharmacy and dentistry.
However where has all the work gone to? On the grapevine I hear that a summary of the “call to action” events will not be published, however I’ve not heard any reason as to why not although I get the impression that with the publication of the NHS five year plan, another publication would be one too many.
This seems to me to miss a very valuable opportunity to give some central direction to commissioners through what would have been in the “call to action “ summary and to use this to get some real movement. Judging by the event I attended there was no shortage of ideas and there was good consensus from all sides for ideas to improve and save money. The familiar themes that came out were to use primary care more, raise awareness of the importance of the sight test and to have realistic fees for schemes that were set up on the community, which would save money in the longer term. I remember someone at the event I attended giving a sceptical view that he had heard a lot of it before, but was yet to see any real changes and how sad he will have appeared to be proved correct.
Perhaps though all is not lost. It will be up to local eye health networks to creatively use the themes that were brought up locally, to add to their evidence and discussion with their commissioners in order to take the issues further.