Covid Urgent Eyecare Service (CUES) in Hillingdon

NHS Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group is commissioning a service for the provision of urgent eye care within primary care, utilising the established trained workforce in optical practices, for patients at risk with urgent eye health issues that would have found it difficult to access care, with potential implications for their sight and long term eye health due to the Covid response where hospital ophthalmology departments reduced or stopped all routine out-patient and surgical activity, and were only providing services for high risk patients and emergency care.

The service will provide initial contact, telephone triage, remote consultations and where necessary face to face assessments and management of recent onset symptomatic or urgent ocular presentations who would otherwise present to general practice, hospital services and A&E.

Additional information: Along with 7 other CCGs in the area, NHS Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group has been incorporated into a new CCG from 1st April 2021 - North West London Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

A period of review is required from April 2021 to agree the future model of care and to identify the commissioning strategies for services across NW London for the coming year and beyond.

The existing contract is being modified through contract variation to extend its term of 6 months with another 6 months which will increase the overall value of the contract of £77,320 by £77,320 during this additional term.