View from Locsu: LOCs and PECs need to build closer relationships

Locsu recently appointed a new part-time director of ophthalmology. Christiane Shrimpton brings with her hands-on experience of service redesign. She helped lead major NHS reforms which saw 6,000 appointments move from hospital to optical practices in its first year as part of the Better Care Together Initiative in Morecambe Bay.

Her experience will help Locsu develop the offer that the community optical sector can provide to the NHS. The reform of NHS delivery and the introduction of population-level, integrated care is a huge opportunity to reduce pressures on the hospital eye services by moving minor eye conditions and routine monitoring of stable conditions into primary care.