New Minor Eye Conditions Service contract for Vale of York and Scarborough and Ryedale
NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has announced today that a new service provider will deliver a Minor Eye Conditions Service (MECS) across the Vale of York and Scarborough and Ryedale areas from December 2018.
A formal procurement process was undertaken to secure a new service provider. The new MECS provider has been confirmed as Healthcare Business Solutions UK. Commissioners look forward to working with the new provider in order to mobilise the new service, which begins on Saturday 1 December.
The MECS will be delivered from community optician practices across both CCG areas, meaning many patients will be seen closer to home than if they were referred into the hospital eye service.
The service will assess and treat a wide range of conditions, including: ocular pain and irritation, blurred vision, or flashes and floaters.
Patients will be seen by an optometrist with additional accreditation in minor eye conditions, within 24 or 48 hours depending of the urgency of the symptoms, so that many patients will be seen sooner than if they made an appointment to see their GP or were referred into the hospital eye service.
Dr Shaun O’Connell, a GP working in South Milford, and GP Lead for Acute Service Transformation at Vale of York CCG said: “The new service will enable patients with minor eye conditions to be seen by the right healthcare professional to meet their needs, at a time and place that is most convenient to them.
“Getting patients seen by the right person, first time also diverts unnecessary demand from GP practices and hospital services, freeing up much-needed resources for alternative use.”
