To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to have eye clinic liaison officers deployed at (a) Royal Stoke University Hospital and (b) all hospitals in England with ophthalmology departments.
Answered on
8 July 2019
The Government recognises the profound impact that sight loss can have on a person’s life and the important and valuable role that Eye Clinic Liaison Officers can play in supporting patients at the point of diagnosis of sight loss and beyond. For those newly diagnosed with sight loss, access to information about appropriate support and rehabilitation services is vital.
Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for commissioning all secondary care ophthalmology services, including eye clinics and their staffing. Decisions on the provision of services that meet the needs of their local population should be made locally, rather than at a national level.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that Royal Stoke University Hospital currently employs two part-time members of staff to deliver the Eye Clinical Liaison Officer role.