Staffordshire Community Ophthalmology Services

NHS Cannock Chase, North Staffordshire, South East Staffordshire & Seisdon Peninsular, Stoke on Trent, and Stafford & Surrounds Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG), are intending to undertake in the future a formal procurement for Community Ophthalmology services across the aforementioned CCG catchment areas.

This is to include a Consultant led integrated service model of local optometrists; where all patients are triaged and, where appropriate, shall be assessed and treated within the same appointment removing the need to attend secondary care.

For any patient that requires further intervention through to secondary care, the service will need to work closely with local partner organisations to ensure that a swift, coordinated pathway is followed and that all service users are transferred to the appropriate specialty.

This in turn will ensure reduction of delays in overall pathways of care and ensure service user experience is at the heart of all care.

The Community Ophthalmology service will be a one stop shop providing a consultant- led Tier 3 triage and treat service for the Staffordshire CCGs.

In addition, the Tier 3 service will manage and co-ordinate the Tier 2 Optometrist service.

The Tier 2 services will be delivered to all 5 aforementioned CCGs with the potential for this to expand to East Staffordshire CCG in the future although East Staffordshire is not currently included in these commissioning plans.

The proposed community Tier 2 service will look to provide: - Glaucoma Referral Refinement (GRR) - Minor Eye Care Services (MECS) - Pre/Post-Operative Cataract - Paediatric Shared Care - Ocular Hypertension (OHT) and Suspect Glaucoma Commissioners are seeking innovative proposals to support assessment and treatment within the community along with providing patient education on self-managing their conditions.

The Community Ophthalmology Framework identifies that the focus for Community Ophthalmology must be on 'maintaining quality, ensuring safe care, reducing service variation and improving equity of access.' The final full-service specification will be published as part of a future procurement early in 2019.

As part of the tender process there will be a bidders engagement event on or around Thursday 21st March 2019 (To be confirmed), the details of this event will be circulated to interested parties once confirmed.

Interested parties to the proposed tender are asked to express their interest initially via e-mail to Samantha.yates6@nhs.net and elizabeth.johnson1@nhs.net by Wednesday 13th February 2019 stating your company name and contact details for details to be sent.