Eye Clinic Liaison Officers (ECLOs)

What is an ECLO?

Eye Clinic Liaison Officers (ECLOs), or similar early intervention support staff, work closely with medical and nursing staff in the eye clinic, and the sensory team in social services. They provide those recently diagnosed with an eye condition with the practical and emotional support they need to understand their diagnosis, deal with their sight loss and maintain their independence.

Most importantly, ECLOs have the time to dedicate to patients following consultation, so they can discuss the impact the condition may have on their life.

Where are ECLOs based?

ECLOs are based in hospital eye clinics. Some may cover a number of clinics or be available on certain days, or at certain times. Currently not all clinics have this service. You can find a full list of locations that have ECLOs (and other early intervention support workers) in our Register of hospitals in the UK with eye clinic support (Word, 371 KB)

Why are ECLOs needed?

Being diagnosed with an eye condition can be difficult to come to terms with, and everyone reacts differently. It can be an extremely confusing and uncertain time and in many cases emotionally traumatic.

• People with sight loss are three times more likely to suffer depression.
• A survey of registered individuals revealed that after diagnosis 92 per cent of blind and partially sighted people were not offered formal counseling by the eye clinic, either at the time or later.
• Nearly a quarter of blind and partially sighted people (23 per cent) leave the eye clinic not knowing, or unsure of, the name of their eye condition.

Eye clinic staff are often unable to provide the emotional and practical support their patients' need. The ECLO can help provide this essential support.

What are the benefits of ECLOs?

RNIB, together with Action for Blind People and other voluntary and statutory organisations, have developed the ECLO role and successfully deployed them throughout a number of eye clinics across the UK.

A professionally qualified ECLO (or other early intervention support model) has the potential to save both hospital and social services staff-time and money, and makes sure that patient support continues beyond the eye clinic doors.

The ECLO is central to the welfare of patients in an eye clinic. They are able to provide early emotional support, information on eye conditions, and details of local and national resources, providing a bridge between health and social care.

The ECLO works closely with medical and nursing staff in the eye clinic and with the sensory team in social services. And they can provide awareness training for hospital staff on the wider social, practical and psychological impacts of sight loss.

Most importantly, the ECLO role is specifically designed to have time to spend with patients - enabling them to discuss, in depth, their concerns about the impact their condition may have on their lives and those close to them.

ECLOs:

• offer a patient centred service at all times
• ensure best practice is met in terms of accessibility and equal opportunity
• offer advocacy to those with a sight problem and to their relatives, and carers
• provide access to relevant support services at the point of need
• make early and accurate patient specific referrals to appropriate services e.g. employment, education, falls clinics, rehabilitation services, etc.
• explain the certification-registration process to patients
• ensure the social care element of the registration document is completed appropriately.

How can an ECLO save money and resources?

In three different studies, we found the ECLO service increased clinical staff efficiency by reducing time spent with distressed patients. This is important as ophthalmology has one of the highest rates of follow-up appointments.

Tammy Boyce's 'Innovation and quality in sight loss and blindness services: Eye Clinic Liaison Officers' research sets out the case for ECLOs.

We have also produced a poster which summarises this research:

ECLO poster (PDF, 172 KB)
ECLO poster (Word, 49 KB)

How to become an ECLO

RNIB runs a four-day Eye Clinic Support Studies Course, accredited by City University London, which equips eye clinic and related staff to competently address the emotional and practical needs of patients or clients on their eye care journey.

We also run Eye Clinic Staff seminars, which provide an opportunity for people to meet other early intervention support workers, and share best practice in a peer support environment.

To find out more about our Eye Clinic Support Studies Course, Eye clinic staff seminars and other useful training and networking opportunities, please visit our ECLO training, events and conferences section.

ECLO research