Primary Eyecare Services To Be Lead Provider for Optometry First Early Adopters

7 March 2022

Primary Eyecare Services is delighted to be the lead provider for the first three areas to be selected as early adopters of the Optometry First model.

Optometry First is a comprehensive and innovative new care model supported by the Nation Eye Care Recovery and Transformation Programme (NECRTP).

Sixteen areas from across England expressed an interest in becoming early adopters of Optometry First, and three areas have been selected:

• Bassetlaw
• Sefton
• Isle of Wight

Dharmesh Patel, Chief Executive Officer said:

“This announcement is an opportunity to build on the work, PES with LOCs and practices have been doing with local commissioners. This will not only enable testing of the Optometry First model of care but ultimately look to maximise care outside of hospital and closer to home in these areas. We look forward to working in these systems to achieve the very best outcomes for patients through this model of care.”

The Optometry First guidance makes recommendations to optimise existing local arrangements through improved care navigation, referral triage and redirection, signposting, and discharge into the locally commissioned services already in place, to deliver immediate system benefit that will deliver both in-year and future sustained recovery.

PES and the early adopter areas will now work with the NECRTP to co-develop the service and work with systems to implement.