Northamptonshire Ophthalmology Service

The service will provide an ophthalmology service for new referrals, providing consultant led pathways of care. Patients will be seen within the required Referral to Treatment timescales and where a follow up appointment is required for on-going management, these will be within national guidance and service standards (the service provided will reflect NICE guidance) by appropriately qualified, competent clinical practitioners. Ensuring that the service does not adversely impact the ability to deliver local comprehensive Ophthalmology services.

The service will provide an ophthalmology service for new referrals, providing consultant led pathways of care. Patients will be seen within the required Referral to Treatment timescales and where a follow up appointment is required for on-going management, these will be within national guidance and service standards (the service provided will reflect NICE guidance) by appropriately qualified, competent clinical practitioners. Ensuring that the service does not adversely impact the ability to deliver local comprehensive Ophthalmology services.

The key objectives of the service are:

• To ensure the provision of safe and effective Ophthalmology service provision to NHS patients for all services outlined in this specification.
• To free up outpatient and primary eye care capacity for patients at higher risk of sight loss
• To ensure the delivery of training for the next generation of consultant ophthalmologists through equitable delivery of training to NHS trainees in all providers of NHS Ophthalmology surgery
• To ensure providers deliver end to end Ophthalmology pathways of care, providing service users with urgent post-surgery issues and complications can be advised and managed by the Provider’s own surgical ophthalmic team, with any requirement and resource for other providers to support this clearly agreed.
• To achieve, and drive improvements in, the delivery of pathways in line with Royal Colleges and NHSE guidance.

A contract has been awarded to a provider following the conclusion of an accreditation process in accordance with the requirements of The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (PSR) and part 8 of The National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012 (as amended), and aligned to the Direct Award Process B of the Provider Selection Regime 2023. This is a new service to cover the 2025/26 financial year following an accreditation process and payments will only be made in line with the relevant National Tariffs as part of the 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme for activity carried out.