A group of highly trained professionals are working hard across University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) to enhance care for people with sight problems.
The Trust’s Eye Clinic Liaison Officers (ECLOs) provide emotional support, practical advice, impartial information, guidance and advocacy to people of all ages who are affected by sight loss. Family members and carers also receive support from the ECLOs.
Based in the Trust’s Ophthalmology Departments, the five ECLOs provide eye health information on a range of topics to patients, family members and others in conjunction with other practitioners.
The Eye Clinic Liaison Officers are Glen Sheader, Jackie Pateman, Sarah Stoddart, Angela Hannon and Paul Ogden.
One of the main aims of the ECLOs is to empower blind and partially sighted people by carrying out an initial support needs assessment, so that people can prioritise their own needs and aspirations.
The ECLOs also offer support to facilitate access to appropriate services that will meet those needs and have established robust referral mechanisms to and from the service in order that referral pathways are known and understood.
Glen Sheader said: “We have established excellent professional working relationships with health and social care professionals at all levels within statutory and voluntary agencies in order to facilitate smooth and swift referrals between departments and agencies.
“We act as a key information and advisory link in the certification and registration process for blind and partially sighted people and eye clinic staff.
“Our role is also to engage and consult with blind and partially sighted people to evaluate and support continuous service improvement.”
