The National Clinical Programme (NCP) for Ophthalmology helps health workers in the eye service to provide high quality, consistent and effective care.

Ophthalmology is one of the largest specialties by volume of patients seen.

Many chronic eye conditions are currently delivered in acute hospitals. But a lot of these interventions could be delivered in primary care.

The NCP for Ophthalmology has created a regionalised model that integrates acute and primary care services. This model is being rolled out nationally.

The new model:

• balances access and delivery of eye care services from acute hospitals to primary care
• improves the current model of eye care delivery

Objectives of the NCP for Ophthalmology

The NCP helps bring hospitals and community care together. This allows clinicians and care providers to work as a team, making it easier to tackle the problems in the current system.

Objectives include:

• reduce waiting lists by diagnosing and treating patients in the community instead of the hospital
• reduce waiting lists by implementing a community based model to improve access to care
• improve the governance structure for the eye teams with clinical audits