PEATS Clinical Triage- 30/04/2015You will no doubt be aware that Primary Eyecare (Shropshire & Staffordshire) Ltd (SAS PEC) has been named as preferred provider by Stafford and Cannock CCGs for a PEATS (Primary Eyecare Assessment and Treatment Service) community eye care pilot. The pilot is scheduled to run for 18 months and SAS PEC hopes to launch it in the early summer. In common with PEARS/MECS-type schemes elsewhere, the PEATS service will provide appropriate triaging of both acute and non-acute referrals by trained and accredited community optometrists based in convenient high street practice locations. In addition, it is anticipated that the service will enable the treatment of minor eye conditions such as conjunctivitis, blepharitis and dry eye, together with minor procedures such as corneal and subtarsal foreign body removal and eyelash epilation. One additional feature of the pilot is the CCGs anticipate that most of the referrals into the scheme should go through a central hub and clinical triage. Webstar Health, who is supplying the IT support, already has a central hub in place. However, it is SAS PEC’s responsibility to provide the clinical triage. SAS PEC is writing to ask for volunteers to the clinical triage team. Triage clinicians do not need to be based in the Stafford and Cannock areas, and all interested Staffordshire-based optometrists are welcome to apply. In particular, SAS PEC would be interested to hear from more experienced optometrists, particularly those who have performed triage work in the past, hospital work, teaching/examining, or attained specialist/postgraduate qualifications. The plan is to create a team of three or more triage clinicians who can share the responsibility on a rota basis. The triage can be performed remotely using your laptop or tablet device, and you will just need a log-in code in order to access Webstar’s web platforms. Appointment to the team will follow an interview process, when remuneration levels will be discussed. I ask you all to give this opportunity your serious consideration. This is a really good way to serve the optical professions locally and help ensure that the PEATS optometry model can be sustained long beyond the 18 months’ life of the pilot. Could all optometrists wishing to declare their interest please notify Alison at the LOC office by no later than Friday, 8th May. Thank you for your attention.
Mark McCracken MCOptom DipTp(AS) DipTp(IP) Primary Eyecare (Shropshire & Staffordshire) Ltd |
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