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Commissioning toolkit for community based eye care services

This document provides PCTs and practice based commissioners with practical advice on commissioning community based eye care services. It draws on evidence that has emerged from the evaluated pilot pathways (glaucoma; age-related macular degeneration (AMD); low vision) that were set up following the work of the Eye Care Services Steering Group. It also fits within the wider commissioning framework

This toolkit consists of the following sections:

• Section 2: Sets out the links between wider health and well being and visual health. There are a wide range of existing health programmes that impact on visual health. In particular, the evidence linking public health issues such as smoking and obesity and eye health is becoming increasingly well understood.
• Section 3: Describes the main eye care pathways, in particular how they differ from current (secondary care based) pathways, and the potential benefit for patients and draws some of the key lessons from the ECSSG pilots on the glaucoma, AMD and low vision pathways.
• Section 4: Provides an overview of how community based eye care services could be commissioned, in the context of the wider commissioning framework.
• Section 5: Describes the relevance of practice based commissioning and payment by results to this area, and suggests how PCTs can build capacity for developing and commissioning eye care, and also covers the potential role of the third sector.
• Section 6: Outlines the practical issues that need to be resolved in establishing new eye care services.

• Download Commissioning toolkit for community based eye care services (PDF, 422K)