Essex LOC

Representing the providers & performers of General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) in the Essex area

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Referral guidance and methods can be found by area under "Referral Pathways" in the menu at the top.

Essex LOC is funded by Ophthalmic Contractors in the Essex area and acts on behalf of the Contractors, Performers, and others registered with the GOC in dealing with the NHS.

Membership of the Committee is 50% Contractors and 50% Performers plus the Committee can co-opt from outside this group, eg Dispensing Opticians, to give a diverse balance.

Other Objectives of Essex LOC are to:

Promote the profession to all stakeholders in the county
Promote Enhanced Services to all parts of the county
Communicate with Commissioners of Health Services
Inform the profession about relevant changes in the Health Service
Facilitate training for Enhanced Services
Facilitate contract compliance by contractors and performers
Be the first point of contact for practitioners seeking help with disputes and complaints via NHS.
Facilitate Peer Reviews and other statutory training requirements for GOC and NHS

Essex LOC aims to promote Enhanced Services in certain clinical fields:

Glaucoma Referral Refinement
Certain visual conditions affecting Children
LVA provision
General Referral Refinement (eg Red Eye)

Optometrists’ core skills are vastly under-used in a GOS sight test, and Essex LOC believes that tapping into this resource in the Community will bring benefits to all stakeholders: Commissioners saving money; Hospitals freeing up acute appointments and reducing waiting times; patients getting seen in the Community more conveniently with greater accessibility; practitioners getting more involved with treatment of their patients.