Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 22 May 2026

22 May 2026

Update: Telemedicine & Accessing CUES in Hampshire & Isle of Wight 

Primary Eyecare Services has issued important clarification regarding how patients should access the Community Urgent Eyecare Service (CUES) and how practices should manage appointments arranged via the Telemedicine Service.

CUES Access – Telemedicine Is Not the Only Route

PES has confirmed that patients do not need to contact Telemedicine in order to access CUES.
Patients may self‑present directly to any CUES‑accredited practice.

The Telemedicine Service exists to support capacity across Hampshire & Isle of Wight—not to act as a mandatory gateway.

When Practices Should Use Telemedicine

If a patient contacts a practice with symptoms appropriate for CUES, but the practice cannot offer an appointment within the clinically appropriate timeframe, the patient should be directed to call the Telemedicine Service.

This ensures patients are still seen promptly and safely when local capacity is limited.

When Telemedicine Books a Face‑to‑Face Appointment

If Telemedicine triages a patient and arranges a face‑to‑face appointment with a local practice:

• The patient is transferred into the care of that practice.
• The practice becomes responsible for seeing the patient.
• If the confirmed appointment must be cancelled, the practice should attempt to rebook the patient into another suitable slot.

If no alternative appointment is available within the appropriate timeframe, the patient may then be advised to contact Telemedicine again so they can be reallocated to another practice.

What Practices Should Not Do

It is not appropriate to tell a patient that they must contact Telemedicine in order to be seen under CUES. Direct access to CUES practices remains fully valid and unchanged.

Further Information

PES thanks all practices for their continued support in delivering CUES across Hampshire & Isle of Wight.

Any questions can be directed to: katie.atkins@primaryeyecare.co.uk

Update: DORA Virtual Post-Operative Follow-Up for Cataract Patients

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (HIOW ICB) has now launched the new DORA virtual post‑operative cataract follow‑up pathway, which came into effect on 1 April 2026. Contractors may already have seen the initial announcement shared via Hampshire LOC on 3 April; this information is also available on the LOC website under Post‑Cataract Information.

How the new pathway works

All cataract patients will now receive a telephone follow‑up at 4 weeks post‑surgery. During this call, their ongoing care needs will be assessed, and any required clinical follow‑up will be arranged directly with the provider that carried out the surgery.

What this means for practices

Under the updated ICB guidance:

• Surgical providers remain responsible for all post‑operative complications, regardless of how long it has been since surgery.
• Patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of post‑operative issues should be directed to their surgical provider first, not immediately booked into CUES.
• All patients receive provider contact details in their post‑operative information pack, and should be encouraged to use these if concerns arise.

This applies even if the patient has already attended their routine post‑operative sight test. For example, if a patient presents at 7 weeks with symptoms that appear related to their surgery, they should still be referred back to their surgical provider, not into CUES.

This approach is essential because the ICB monitors post‑operative complication rates using data supplied by surgical providers. If patients are instead seen within CUES, this may distort the accuracy of that data.

When CUES can be used

If a patient contacts your practice with symptoms after already attempting to contact their surgical provider, and the provider has stated they cannot see the patient, then the patient may be seen within CUES, provided they meet the usual eligibility criteria.

In these cases, practices must:

• Obtain patient consent
• Notify the ICB of the incident by emailing hiow.electivecaremailbox@nhs.net with relevant details

Further information

If you have any questions about the pathway or require clarification, please contact:

Katie Atkins, Clinical Lead, Primary Eyecare Services katie.atkins@primaryeyecare.co.uk

Hampshire LOC AGM & Education Evening – Book Now! 

We’re gearing up for one of the most important and enjoyable dates in the Hampshire LOC calendar — the 2026 AGM & Education Evening — and this year’s programme is packed with value for every practitioner. Whether you’re an Optometrist, DO, CLO, or an Independent Prescriber, there are CPD points available for you, including IP‑specific learning.

This is your chance to reconnect with colleagues, enjoy a relaxed buffet, hear the latest LOC updates, and take part in a high‑quality, interactive CPD session delivered by Scope.

Event Details

• Date:  Wednesday 10 June 2026
• Time:  From 6:30pm (buffet & networking)
• Venue:  Solent Hotel & Spa, Rookery Avenue, Whiteley, PO15 7AJ

CPD Highlights

This year’s education session is “Is That a Dry Eye I Spy?”, an engaging, case‑based discussion workshop led by:

Alexander Thornton BSc (Hons) MCOptom DipTp(IP) Prof Cert Med Ret Prof Cert Glauc

You’ll work through real‑world ocular surface disease scenarios using an interactive quiz format — ideal for:

• Optometrists
• Dispensing   Opticians
• Contact   Lens Opticians
• Independent   Prescribers (with IP‑relevant points available)

CPD available:

• 3   interactive points for the workshop
• +1   additional point via the Friday Night Specials visual‑recognition   quiz (QR‑code access on the night)

AGM

The AGM will take place between the buffet and the workshop. This is your opportunity to:

• Hear   updates on local pathways and commissioning
• Review   the LOC’s work over the past year
• Ask   questions and contribute to future priorities
• Meet   the committee and learn about opportunities to get involved

Book Your Place

Hampshire LOC AGM & Education Evening  – Fill in form

Spaces fill quickly each year, and CPD‑accredited workshops are always in high demand. Please secure your place early to avoid missing out.

Accurate Recording of Episodes & Outcomes in OPERA: Guidance Reminder

Primary Eyecare Services has issued updated guidance for practices and practitioners on the importance of accurate episode and outcome recording within OPERA. This information will be circulated to all providers on Friday 22 May, and Hampshire LOC is sharing the key points below to support consistent, safe, and reliable service delivery across our area.

Why Accurate Recording Matters

Clear and consistent recording ensures:

• Safe   and seamless patient pathways
• Accurate   representation of clinical activity
• Reliable   service data for commissioning and reporting
• Reduced   need for retrospective clarification

PES has identified variation in how episodes and outcomes are being logged, particularly within CUES, and is asking all practices to review their processes.

Recording Episodes Correctly

Follow‑ups vs New Episodes

Practices are reminded that follow‑up appointments must be recorded as follow‑ups, not as new telemedicine or face‑to‑face episodes.

Multiple episodes of the same type should not be created where the interaction is a continuation of care.

Example pathway:

• Telemedicine   assessment
• Face‑to‑face   appointment
• Further   face‑to‑face review

This should be recorded as:
Telemedicine → Face‑to‑face → Follow‑up
not multiple face‑to‑face episodes.

Referrals to Your Practice

When a patient appears on your clinical dashboard, the face‑to‑face consultation must continue on the same record using the same OPR number.
A new record should not be created.

Guidance on accepting referrals is available here: Internal Referrals – OPERA

Recording Outcomes Correctly

Outcomes must accurately reflect what happened to the patient.

PES has noted cases where episodes were marked as discharged, despite clinical notes showing that the patient was referred outside OPERA.

Key points:

• Local   protocols may require referrals to be sent outside OPERA (e.g., emergencies, EeRS transfers).
• Where   this occurs, the episode outcome must reflect that an external referral   was made.
• Discharge  should only be selected when the patient has genuinely been discharged with no onward referral.

Important:

Under no circumstances should a GOS18 referral be created within OPERA to close an episode.
These referrals will be rejected by the Eyecare Navigation Service, and you will be instructed to refer via the original service record (e.g., CUES or GERS).

Further guidance: Managing referrals sent outside the OPERA platform – OPERA

Where to Find More Information

Service‑specific guidance, including how to record different episode types, is available on the OPERA Help Pages:
Service Guides for Practices and Practitioners – OPERA

Primary Eyecare Services thanks all practices for their continued commitment to high‑quality, safe delivery of community eye care services.