A new report has been published outlining the views of a diverse group of 65 Londoners on elective eye care.
Patient choice in elective eye care was funded by NHS England and commissioned by North Central London’s Single Point of Access (SPoA) service. The SPoA is hosted at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
The report summarises discussions that took place over the course of two in-person full-day workshops on 22 February and 15 March this year.
Participants were recruited from across London’s five integrated care boards, with representation from a range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
Consideration was also given to ensuring representation from people of different ages and caring responsibilities, as well as those with visual impairment and neurodivergence.
During discussions, participants expressed their views on which factors drive decisions when choosing an elective care provider – such as waiting times, convenience and clinical expertise.
On the basis of the feedback provided, Patient choice in elective eye care outlines 15 expectations that patients have of health care providers when offering elective eye care.
These include that patients must be informed that they have a choice when it comes to elective care and that information should be available in a format that works for the patient.
They should be provided with information on the pros and cons of each provider as well as information on current waiting times. The participants also emphasised that patients should not be pressured into making a decision quickly, unless there is an emergency.
Deputy medical director and consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, Dilani Siriwardena, highlighted that patient choice is a key principle of the NHS constitution.
“This exciting new report has given us a unique opportunity to listen to the voices of our London patients, and hear directly how they want their healthcare services to continue to improve. Importantly, the expectations laid out by the report are transferable to specialities beyond eye care and so could support patients to make truly informed choices about their care across the NHS,” she said.
Patient Choice in Elective Eye Care was launched on Thursday 12 June at the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.
AOP policy briefing
In an AOP policy briefing published online, the association welcomed the insights provided by the report.
“Patient choice in the NHS is a subject where views can vary widely, and at times these views are heavily based on anecdotal evidence rather than research and analysis,” the briefing highlighted.
The briefing outlined how the report findings demonstrate the important role optometry practices can play in moving eye care services out of secondary care.
“Not only are waiting lists rare in optometry settings, but location, flexibility and travel time are also key drivers of choice for patients,” the briefing noted.
The AOP expressed disappointment in a section of the report that discusses fees paid to optometrists who provide post-surgical aftercare on behalf of the NHS.
This discussion in the report highlights that “money should never be the driving factor behind the provider a patient is referred to (for instance, an optometrist referring to a specific provider because they get a fee or are affiliated).”
The AOP policy briefing emphasised that this discussion conflates key issues and is not underpinned by evidence.
“It risks damaging public confidence in optometrists. In our view, the research could have provided some clarification in this area and dispelled, rather than embed, this myth,” the policy briefing stated.
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