We stand at a crossroads in the optical sector. We could continue to chip away at the 200-plus Clinical Commissioning Groups, chalking up individual successes and building momentum. But with a combination of ambition and investment the sector can make a real leap forward.
Locsu’s new strategy, A Breakthrough Strategy for Optics, is designed to propel our sector onto a faster and broader course.
The headline goals include doubling the number of CCGs with a Minor Eye Conditions service by March 2017 and achieving an 80% target within two years. We will also be focussing on ‘step down’ care for monitoring conditions such as glaucoma and developing a framework to enable practices to become more involved in public health services.
Locsu plans to achieve its aims by stepping up the capacity of the team of (renamed) Commissioning Leads working across England, and providing additional support for LOCs in the mobilisation and monitoring of services, along with data collection/analysis which will be crucial in driving the increase in activity.
The enhanced team needed to deliver these demanding targets will require an increase in the Locsu levy from 0.4% of GOS sight test fees back to its original level of 0.5% from April 2016.
While we can be pleased about successes to date, that the sector has to seize the moment and take this bold step forward.
Technological changes, NHS New Care Models and external competitors mean we must ask ourselves: ‘If not us, who? If not now, when?’
We need to set demanding targets and invest accordingly to achieve them. We need the whole sector to join together to back the Breakthrough Strategy.
