View from Locsu: Don't miss this opportunity

It is a new year but a familiar story for the NHS: annual winter crisis, A&E at breaking point and hospital trusts under pressure.

We know that the optical sector can take significant amounts of pressure from A&E visits, GP appointments and hospital eye care. But we also need the whole sector to get involved, particularly those practices who are not currently providing Extended Primary Eyecare services.

There has been a steady increase in the number of Minor Eye Conditions Service (Mecs) commissioned by CCGs in line with achieving our target in Breakthrough Strategy by March this year – to double the number of CCGs with a Mecs.