RNIB Prioritises Vital Eye Care Support

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has employed three specialist officers at hospital eye clinics across Hertfordshire and West Essex.

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 to patients with eye conditions in 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.

“I always knew from when I was in my thirties that I was going to lose my sight as when they operated on me (for a brain tumour), they had to cut the nerves behind my eyes and there was a lot of damage,” said Margaret Castle, 81, who recently lost her remaining sight and was given support by an ECLO at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage.

“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.

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.

To find out more about our ECLO service, visit https://www.rnib.org.uk/your-eyes/navigating-sight-loss/eye-care-services-and-roles/eye-care-liaison-officers-eclos/

Pictured: Clinicians and staff at Lister Hospital celebrate the arrival of RNIB’s new Eye Care Liaison Officers.