View from the BCLA: A benefit for our patients

The relationship between primary and secondary care has arguably never been more important. With a rising population bringing with it an increasing range of medical complications demanding specialist treatment, it is vital the two strands of our healthcare system enjoy a close and harmonious relationship.

The sharing of knowledge and two-way communication is key – discussing best practice to ensure a consistency of treatment and an awareness of who to refer to if specialist intervention is required.

The coming together of optometry and ophthalmology is an example of how this can help to improve patient outcomes, BCLA wants to orchestrate this collaboration and has invested in this vision already. It was pleasing to see an appetite for this at our annual Pioneers & Visionaries meeting last week.