Optical leaders slam ‘shambolic’ Primary Care Support Service

Leaders of the LOCSU and the Optical Confederation have demanded urgent action to bring the Primary Care Support Service delivered by Capita up to an acceptable standard.

Optical leaders branded the service “unfit for purpose” in a letter sent to NHS chief, Simon Stevens, last week.

Speaking on behalf of the optical sector, LOCSU managing director Katrina Venerus said: “We have worked closely with Capita and NHS England as part of the PCSE stakeholder group to try and help them resolve contractor issues cause by the service migration.

“But despite our efforts the service remains shambolic and a series of agreed recovery plans have failed to deliver. NHS England must now step in and ensure that the service is swiftly brought up to a satisfactory level.

“Contractors’ livelihoods are being put at risk and enough is enough. That is why we wrote to Simon Steven last week to demand urgent action.”

The letter to the Head of NHS England makes it clear that delayed payments are completely unacceptable and questions whether NHS England are doing all they should do to hold Capita to account for these failings.

A text of the full letter can be found by clicking here.