Eyecare provider Community Health and Eye Care (CHEC) is partnering with a leading charity to provide dedicated support workers for people with sight loss in its centres. The joint scheme, with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), launched 1 April across 10 sites.
The partnership will give patients tailored practical and emotional support when they get a diagnosis. Almost 3,000 people in the UK are estimated to have lost vision as a result of delays in care due to the pandemic. More than half a million people are waiting for eyecare and treatment, with waits as long as two years for cataract surgery.
Support ranges from advice on independent living, returning to work and state benefits. Information on coping at home, how to use technology and emotional help are also available. Nearly half the eyecare liaison (ECLO) team have sight loss themselves.
Jon Dore, CHEC chief operating officer, said: “With the pandemic increasing the pressure on eyecare services, this innovative partnership will ensure our patients, their families and carers have personalised advice and support to cope with a sight loss diagnosis.”
RNIB chief operating officer David Clarke said: “Being told you are going to lose your sight can be an overwhelming experience. An ECLO is there to provide much needed information, advice and support.”
The partnership with CHEC is “a significant step forward” he added. “It further strengthens our work to ensure nobody receives a sight loss diagnosis without support.”
CHEC opened centres in Northampton in March, Leicester in January and Nottingham in October 2021.
Julie McNeill, an ECLO working with RNIB, said: “If someone is told their sight is getting worse it’s life-changing news. This applies to those with long-standing sight loss or newly diagnosed.
“My role is about reassuring the patient that they’re not alone and helping them get the right support and information in a timely manner to enable them to remain independent.”
There are 106 ECLOs working across the UK. They complete the RNIB’s eye clinic support studies course, accredited by City, University of London, within a year of starting work.