Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 06 November 2026

6 November 2026

Information from the Local Pharmacy Committee: NHS Hypertension Case Finding Service

Dear Colleagues,

We wanted to raise awareness of the NHS Hypertension Case-Finding Service (HCFS), which is available through many community pharmacies across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The service supports the early detection of high blood pressure by offering in-pharmacy blood pressure checks to eligible patients, with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring available where clinically appropriate. Early identification and management of hypertension can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and other serious health conditions.

We would be grateful if optical practices could consider signposting eligible patients (See criteria here) who may benefit from a blood pressure check to their local participating community pharmacy. All pharmacies should offer HCFS, but there could be the odd one that may have had to suspend service temporarily for various reasons; that should be reflected in NHS service finder: Find a pharmacy that offers free blood pressure checks – NHS

Thank you for your support in helping improve early detection of hypertension across our local population.

Kind regards,

Community Pharmacy Hampshire & Isle of Wight (CPHIOW)

Moderate-to-Severe Dry Eye Disease Update Session

Optometrists interested in managing moderate-to-severe dry eye disease are invited to attend an educational update session at Rhinefield House, Brockenhurst, on Wednesday 18 November 2026. The meeting will provide an opportunity to review clinical insights into the management of dry eye disease and hear from Professor Parwez Hossain, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Southampton and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at University Hospital Southampton. Please see the flyer enclosed: Here

Event details

• Date:  Wednesday 18 November 2026
• Time:  7.00pm for a 7.30pm start
• Venue:  Rhinefield House, Brockenhurst, SO42 7QB
• Speaker:  Professor Parwez Hossain
• Moderator:  Tina-Marie Parkin, Sun Pharma

Places must be booked in advance. Interested practitioners can register by emailing tina-marie.parkin@sunpharma.talentmark.co.uk or by scanning the QR code on the event flyer. Further details are available in the accompanying flyer.

This meeting is organised and funded by Sun Pharma and is intended for UK healthcare professionals.

PES Cataract Services Discussion Workshop – Book Your Place

Practitioners delivering enhanced cataract referral and/or post-operative cataract services are invited to attend a Cataract Services Discussion Workshop hosted by Primary Eyecare Services.

Taking place online via Zoom on Monday 23 November 2026, this interactive session is designed to facilitate discussion around cataract service delivery and offers 3 interactive CPD points for both Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians.

Workshop details

• Date:  Monday 23 November 2026
• Time:  7:00pm – 8:15pm
• Format:  Online via Zoom
• CPD:  3 Interactive CPD points
• Audience:  Practitioners providing enhanced cataract referral and/or post-operative cataract services

Please note that this workshop is a repeat of sessions previously delivered online on 2 November 2026, at the Primary Eyecare Services & Heart of West Midlands Workforce Development Conference in June 2026, and at Aston University in September 2026.

Participants are encouraged to:

• Register   and join using one device onl
• Join   via a laptop or desktop where possible for a more reliable Zoom experience
• Test   their camera and microphone in advance, as both will be required for breakout room discussions

To register, please use the booking link provided by Primary Eyecare Services: Here

Planned Downtime for PCSE Systems

The PCSE Ophthalmic Payments Team has advised that a planned period of system downtime will affect all PCSE services, including PCSE Online, on Thursday 12 November 2026.

All PCSE systems will be unavailable between 6:00pm and 11:30pm, during which time users will be unable to access the system or submit claims.

Practices are encouraged to complete any urgent activity, including claim submissions, before the scheduled downtime where possible to avoid disruption.

The outage is required to enable system updates, and PCSE will issue a reminder ahead of the maintenance window, as well as confirmation once services have been restored.

REMINDER: Sapphire Eye Care Annual CPD Event – 23 November 2026

Hampshire LOC members are invited to attend Sapphire Eye Care’s Annual CPD Event, taking place at Chewton Glen on Monday 23 November 2026.

Now in its seventh year, this popular event offers attendees the opportunity to gain 3 CPD Points whilst hearing from leading clinicians on a range of topical subjects.

The evening includes a gourmet buffet from 6:00pm, followed by presentations from 6:30pm by:

• Prof Andy Luff: Risk Factors for Retinal Detachment and the Effect of Phacoemulsification
• Miss Bhavna Sharma: Beyond the Drops: A Holistic Approach to Dry Eye
• Mr Nish Srikantha: The Tube, the Trab and the Ugly

Additional insights will be provided by Baba Awopetu, alongside product updates from Rayner.

The event is open to Optometrists, Dispensing Opticians, Practice Owners, Practice Managers and Pre-Registration Students.

To reserve your place, please email events@sapphire-eyecare.co.uk with your name, GOC number and practice name.