Agenda item

Report of Joint Head of Integrated Strategic Commissioning for County Durham CCG and Durham County Council and Director of Commissioning and Transformation, NHS Tees Valley CCG

The Head of Integrated Strategic Commissioning for County Durham CCG and Durham County Council and Director of Commissioning and Transformation, NHS Tees Valley CCG submitted a briefing note (previously circulated) informing Members that NHS County Durham CCG and NHS Tees Valley CCG (Darlington locality) had awarded the contract for Community Eye Care Service to Primary Eye Care Services Ltd to deliver post-op cataract care in the community from autumn 2020.

It was reported that County Durham and the former Darlington CCG had been working collaboratively with County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) for a number of years to reduce activity to the overstretched Ophthalmology department.

Details were provided of the changes to the pathway; that the services would be delivered from high street opticians, close to patients’ homes; and that this  would reduce the reliance on ambulance transport to travel to regional hospitals.

It was also reported that the community eye service would improve the patient pathway for those patients receiving cataract surgery; would relieve pressure  on the local hospital eye services, enabling the Ophthalmologist and team to manage those patients with more complex conditions, efficiently and effectively.

RESOLVED – That the community eye care service update be noted.