LOCSU Appoints new Clinical Director

Zoe Richmond has been confirmed as LOCSU’s Clinical Director.

Zoe first joined LOCSU in 2011 to pursue her interest in service pathway development and is leading a programme of work to continue to develop the Clinical Service Pathways Framework, extending the range of eye conditions which can be managed in optometric practice.

LOCSU’s outgoing chief executive Richard Whittington said:

“I’m very pleased Zoe has accepted this role as she has unparalleled experience in service redesign, supporting the development of extended primary eye care services across England.

“She has been doing a fantastic job over the past few years and I particularly want to commend her for the key role she played in launching the innovative urgent eyecare service CUES; developed to support the immediate and recovery phase of the pandemic.

“As a member of the NHSE/I National Eye Care Recovery and Transformation programme Zoe is helping to provide optometry clinical leadership for pathway improvement.”

Zoe said: “I’m delighted to be joining the LOCSU team in this position at what I believe to be a very exciting time for the sector. As Clinical director I intend to continue championing the role of LOCs and Optometry – optometrists and their whole practice teams – to support transformational change for eye care, for the benefit of patients and population eye health.”

“I look forward to working closely with the local eye care leaders, as we navigate another NHS reform, the local representative voice of the LOC has never been so important.”

Zoe has recently been elected Vice-chair of the Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning, where she works with eye health leaders to support the national agenda to improve eye health and eye care provision across England.