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Durham LOC Latest News

Email Updates

All practitioners registered for LOC emails should have received quite a few updates tonight including details on a new papilloedema referral form, a reminder on emergency and urgent referrals and confirmation that patients for the Cataract Post Op service are now being discharged to be seen through the community scheme. If you don’t already get …

13 October 2020

Referral Update

Please see the member area for updated telephone number for EED at the RVI. We have been advised by local hospitals that current waiting times for routine surgery and outpatient appointments can be up to 6 months. For cataract referrals, Newmedica in Teesside is available and is still operating at a very short waiting time …

5 October 2020

Reminder on referrals

Just a reminder that all direct referral pathways that were in use pre-COVID are re-open. Please direct all appropriate referrals via the pathways, referring to another Optometrist if necessary, rather than direct to the GP. Thanks.

23 September 2020

We are live!

Welcome to the new Durham LOC website – we are now live! We would love your feedback – please contact us to let us know how you’re finding it. Local practitioners can register to be a member which gives access to more detailed referral information – please click on the “Register” link at the top. …

17 September 2020

Cataract Post Op Service

It was great to see so many of you attend last week’s launch event for the Post-op cataract service in Durham and Darlington.   The service and changes to the Optomanager module are scheduled to go live from the 17th September 2020.   The link to the launch pack for the service is below – …

15 September 2020

Coronavirus – COVID 19

Please find below link to below to access the latest guidance issued by Public Health England and the NHS to primary care. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wn-cov-guidance-for-primary-care/wn-cov-interim-guidance-for-primary-care   Further guidance has also been issued by the AOP: https://www.aop.org.uk/ot/professional-support/health-services/2020/02/12/aop-publishes-coronavirus-advice

15 March 2020

LOCSU Latest News

LOCSU Bulletin – 10 June 2026, Issue 90

LOCSU have shared the latest edition of our bi-weekly bulletin, including useful information, guidance for LOCs, new resources, and important signposting. 

10 June 2026

LOCSU urges use of optometry in frailty care following Public Accounts Committee report

LOCSU is calling on eye care to be integral to the planning and prevention of frailty after a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report found overloaded GPs could not adequately carry out the necessary assessments.

9 June 2026

OFNC Statement: Response to Government’s planned roll-out of a national Electronic Referral Service (ERS) for eye care and publication of GIRFT guidance

The Government’s announcement of glaucoma guidance and the planned roll-out of a national Electronic Referral Service (ERS) for eye care in England and access to the National Care Records Service (NCRS) are built on good intentions and long overdue.

9 June 2026

OFNC urges all contractors in England to take part in new survey to assess unfunded GOS workload

OFNC is asking all contractors in England to respond to this confidential survey by close on 22 June 2026.

1 June 2026

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