Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 25 April 2025

25 April 2025

Hampshire LOC Business Manager Recruitment

Our current Business Manager – Ian Silk is retiring at the end of June, so not only will this year’s AGM be his last, we are also looking to recruit a new Business Manager to take over from 01 July 2025

This is a Part-time role (on average 6-8 hrs a week spread over a year) but allows flexible working. Some meetings, in particular committee meetings and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events are held in the evening. Meetings with other NHS organisations take place during the day usually via Teams with adequate notice given

It would suit someone with a portfolio career, ideally with experience around optometry and the wider NHS portfolio, ideally a retired NHS manager or an optometrist looking to expand their general management skills, but all suitable candidate applications will be considered

The post will assist and support Hampshire Local Optical Committee (HLOC) in its work of developing community eye care services across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight with the National Health Service England (NHSE), LOC Support Unit (LOCSU) and Primary Eyecare Service (PES)

The Business Manager will initially act as the first point of contact for the LOC and where necessary co-ordinate all LOC activities

If you know of any suitable candidates, please share this with them

To apply, please email a letter of application and a CV to ballen@hampshireloc.org.uk by no later than Friday 30 May 2025. Interviews are expected to take place in June

Update: CUES emergency referrals to Royal Bournemouth Hospital

Royal Bournemouth Hospital has informed PES that they are disabling the email address EyeEmergency@uhd.nhs.uk. Royal Bournemouth only accepts emergency referrals via their telephone triage pathway: 0300 0196039 for optometrists and 0300 0194181 for patients. No referrals should be sent to the above address

This means that if a CUES episode requires an emergency referral to Royal Bournemouth, there will be no option to send the referral via OPERA. Please refer using the telephone triage, and once the clinical information has been inputted and outcome selected, close the patient episode using the ‘empty chair’ icon and select ‘Referred to HES outside of OPERA’

Dorset LOC has up to date information about referrals – here

Gift of Sight Beating Blindness Bi-annual Lecture – 14 May 2025

Professor Andrew Lotery and team will be hosting the ‘Beating Blindness’ Bi-annual lecture in Eastleigh on 14 May 2025 in person and online

Further information and registration can be found – here

Save the Date ‘Four Seasons’ CPD Event – 3rd June 2025

teve Lash and ‘Four Seasons’ will be holding a self certifying CPD event on 3rd June 2025 from 18:30 with six 20 minute presentations

This event is taking place in Lecture Theatre 2, South Academic Block at UHS Southampton

Sign up details will follow in due course. For regular updates and programme information join the Four Seasons Optometry Education group on Facebook