Issue - meetings

- presentation by Nizz Sabir, Rotherham and Barnsley Local Optical Committee

Nizz Sabir, Rotherham and Barnsley Local Optical Committee, gave a presentation on the role of the Rotherham and Barnsley Local Optical Committee and the role of opticians and ophthalmologists in the heath sector.

·        Primary Health Care specialists;

·        Trained to identify defects in vision, signs of injury, ocular disease or abnormality and any problems with general health;

·        Education, training and mandatory continuous professional development;

·        Regulated by membership (with annual renewal process) of the General Optical Council.

Role of opticians in an aging population: -

·        An RNIB report in 2008, ‘Future Sight Loss’, estimated that 1.8 million people lived with sight loss;

·        A projection of needs exercise estimated that there were 102 adults living in Rotherham who required help with their daily activities due to a serious sight impairment;

o       This was predicted to gradually increase over the coming years.

·        Since 2004, the Department for Health had been encouraging the delivery of routine and minor emergency eye care outside hospital in community optical practices. This aimed to free up hospital capacity to cope with increasing demand from both the ageing population and new technologies;

o       Community optical practices were successfully and safely delivering local enhanced services in primary care, with high levels of patient satisfaction reported, as part of local integrated pathways linking into secondary care as appropriate.  A key benefit of these enhanced services was a reduction in referral rates to GPs, A&E and hospital eye departments.

·        Early intervention was being encouraged to increase the effectiveness of the eye care commissioning strategy. 

Primary Eyecare Assessment and Referral Service (Pears): -

·        Support for national and local strategic priorities;

·        Primary rather than secondary care;

·        Evidence based practise;

·        Patient choice;

·        Closer to home. 

Optical issues had many links to other health concerns, many of which were addressed as priorities within the JSNA: -

·        Smoking’s role in increasing the likelihood/severity of: -

o       Aged-related Macular Degeneration;

o       cataract development;

o       Diabetes’ related sight-loss.

·        Obesity’s role in increasing the likelihood/severity of: -

o       Diabetic retinopathy;

o       Age-related Macular Degeneration;

o       Cataracts.

·        Diabetes’ role in changing eye sight: -

o       Diabetic control increased the risk of diabetes sight problems;

o       Dyslipidaemia;

o       Strategies that sought to prevent diabetes and improve the quality of diabetes care would help prevent avoidable diabetes sight loss. 

·        Mental Health: -

o       Higher incidence of mental health in those suffering from sight loss;

o       Higher incidence of falls due to low vision and cataracts. 

·        Social effects: -

o       Independence;

o       Confidence.

Role of Optometric profession: -

·        Work with the local Health and Wellbeing Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups;

·        Work with other health and social care providers;

·        Encourage a multi-disciplinary approach;

·        Early intervention;

·        Quality, innovative, patient-centred, patient satisfaction, patient choice;

·        Improve efficiency and reduce costs;

·        GPS, Ophthalmologists, Orthoptists and social care providers.

The members of the Health and Wellbeing Board thanked Nizz for his informative presentation. 

Resolved: -  That the information be received.