RNIB puts vital eye care support in place across Hertfordshire and West Essex
RNIB ECLO Lynda Daddario pictured at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage during the official launch of the ECLO service there
Patients with eye conditions across Hertfordshire and West Essex now have access to vital emotional and practical support as The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has employed three specialist officers at hospital eye clinics across the region.
The Eye Care Liaison Officers (ECLOs) are based at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage, Watford Hospital, Princess Alexander Hospital in Harlow, the New QEII Hospital in Welwyn Garden City and St Albans City Hospital.
They offer support at what can be a very challenging time with accessing counselling and advice services, assistance with technology such as iPhones, magnifiers and kitchen household equipment and help with claiming financial benefits and support for employment. ECLOs also help improve communication between clinicians and patients and are an important support to clinicians in their work. People can be referred for support through their high street optician, GP, hospital clinician - or they can self refer.
The new staff mean this level of support is now provided right across the footprint of the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) – the first time this has happened anywhere in the NHS.
Margaret Castle, 81, who has lived with a brain tumour for most of her adult life recently lost her remaining sight and was given support by ECLO Lynda Daddario at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage. She said: “I always knew from when I was in my thirties that I was going to lose my sight as when they operated on me, they had to cut the nerves behind my eyes and there was a lot of damage.
“Finally losing my remaining sight earlier this year was a hell of a lot to take in, but thanks to the ECLOs and staff at the hospital I’ve had more help than ever before; they’ve been more than angels to me, there’s no words you can say, and I don’t know what I can do to thank them.”
Thanks to the support from RNIB and partner organisations like Herts Vision Loss, Margaret has now been able to make use of an Alexa device and a USB device to read audio books and listen to her favourite programmes. She’s part of a befriending group where people visit her at home to chat and she has devices in her kitchen to help with cooking and making drinks.
Kavita Kathuria, Highly Specialist Optometrist at East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust which covers the Lister Hospital, said: “The ECLO service means patients get support from the time of their diagnosis and all the way through their sight loss journey. In the past they might have had to wait much longer to get it. Because we’ve got the ECLOs who do the non-clinical side of things it means we’ve got more time to do clinical duties. ECLOs offer someone for people to talk to about their feelings, someone to fully explain what their diagnosis really means.”
The impact of ECLOs is clear. RNIB surveys show that 96 per cent of clinic staff believe ECLOs improve patient experience. In fact, after speaking with an ECLO, patient awareness of available support jumps from just per cent to 90 per cent.
RNIB now has 134 ECLOs working across the UK, supporting patients in over 270 clinical locations with a physical presence at over 135 clinic sites. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the ECLO service and it is set to expand even further: In the coming years RNIB aims to have an ECLO at every major NHS eye clinic across the UK. Other sight loss organisations provide more than 60 ECLOs.
Of the launch event which took place at Lister Hospital on September 17, RNIB’s ECLO Services Manager Georgia Scanlan, said: “It was a fantastic event. The occasion was truly uplifting, and it was heartening to see so many key stakeholders in attendance, including members of the Integrated Care Board, Local Optometry Committee, Local Sight Loss Charities, Local Sensory Teams, NHS clinical leads and Trust staff. Everyone present was eager to share the positive impact the ECLOs are having on the patients they support and expressed a keen interest in further collaboration to ensure that individuals diagnosed with an eye condition receive comprehensive support throughout their eye care journey.”
Uche Anumadu, Senior Commissioning Manager at Herts & West Essex ICB, said: “This marks a significant milestone - the first time a service of this kind has been mobilised across a single Integrated Care Board (ICB) footprint.
“The ECLO service aligns with the NHS 10-year plan, supporting the strategic shift towards delivering care closer to home. This initiative exemplifies the power of collaboration, particularly with the Voluntary, Community, Social Enterprise and Faith Sector (VCSFE), including the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the county council in advancing integrated health and care services for our local population.
“I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to our partners: Hertfordshire LOC, Essex LOC, Hertfordshire County Council, Hospital Eye Services, Sight4Loss, Herts Vision Loss, fellow ICB commissioners, and RNIB. Your dedication and teamwork have been instrumental in bringing this vital service to life.”
To find out more about our ECLO service, visit our ECLO information page.
If you’d like to contact an ECLO, call us on 0303 123 9999 or email [email protected].