Scotland optometric advisor, Dr Janet Pooley, has written to practitioners in Scotland to outline plans for remobilisation of NHS ophthalmic services.
In her letter, Dr Pooley refers to the Scottish government’s ‘Route map for moving out of lockdown’, which provides an indication of the order in which the current Covid-19 restrictions will “carefully and gradually change”.
For community eyecare, there are three phases for remobilisation including the current phase one where practices remain closed for face-to-face patient care, but with many providing remote triage and consultation. Capacity within the emergency eyecare treatment centres (EETCs) has been increased by NHS boards to meet the demand.
Phase two centres on increasing essential eyecare and starting to safely reopen community optometry practices – the precise date of which is likely to be confirmed by Scotland’s first minister on 18 June. During this phase, community optometry practices will be asked to reopen for face-to-face emergency and essential eyecare “unless there are justifiable reasons why this cannot happen” and the EETCs will close.
“Re-opening must be undertaken with considerable changes to your practice layout and to the way that you look after patients. The priority is safety,” Dr Pooley writes, calling on practices to begin preparing to re-open. A document has been prepared by NHS Education for Scotland has prepared a document to assist practices with this process.
Phase three is centred on increasing capacity within community optometry practices for non-routine eyecare. The focus remains on emergency and essential care, but with increased scope to enable practitioners to see more patients. Domiciliary eyecare provision will be remobilised at this point – if considered safe to do so.
With regards to the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to support the remobilisation of NHS ophthalmic services in Scotland, Dr Pooley assured practitioners that the government’s Primary Care Division “was working very closely with NHS National Services Scotland to ensure that optometry teams have an adequate supply of appropriate PPE during the remobilisation. We will keep practices briefed on the supply.”
Addressing concerns regarding the ongoing viability of community optometry practices in the light of reduced capacity, Dr Pooley added that the Scottish government had already provided “considerable financial support to practices, and we continue to consult with relevant stakeholders to finalise the next phase. Further information regarding this will be issued in due course.”