Post by Moorfields Eye Hospital, London

We are delighted to announce that, following a competitive tender, Sparc, hosted by Moorfields, has been commissioned to take on the Ophthalmology Single Point of Referral contract in South West London (SWL), starting with Croydon from today, 13 July. The service will be mobilised in phases across SWL, with referrals from inner SWL community optometrists and GPs coming onboard in the coming months. Sparc supports a joined‑up eye‑care pathway, prioritising referral flow between primary care optometry and secondary care, while improving communication across the whole system. Since launching across North Central and Inner North East London, Sparc has supported the management of more than 75,000 referrals, helping patients access the right care, at the right time.     The service has already demonstrated significant impact:  ✅ 10% of referrals directed to appropriate care outside of hospital  ✅ 40% of patients redirected to the appropriate sub-specialist service following clinical triage  ✅ 58% of referrals initially submitted as urgent safely de-escalated to routine following clinical triage  ✅1% of referrals escalated to emergency care identifying sight and life-threatening conditions.   ✅ A reduction in discharge at first outpatient appointment from 48% to 25%, demonstrating that Sparc helps reduce the number of unnecessary appointments     The service mobilisation has been made possible through the close collaboration of colleagues across NHS South West London ICB, community optometry, primary care, provider organisations and our wider partners across South West London. Thank you to everyone involved.     We look forward to continuing to work together to improve access to care, support patient choice and help patients get to the right place first time. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eiGmm3Qs