Hampshire ICB has decided to decommission most of its enhanced primary eye care services from 1 April 2025.

Enhanced services decommissioned in England region

Despite the government’s commitment to three big shifts, including hospital to community and sickness to prevention, an ICB in Hampshire has decided to decommission most of its enhanced primary eye care services from 1 April 2025.

The services are currently delivered via PES. Hampshire LOC reports that despite positive feedback from patients and all services running effectively and efficiently, the ICB has decided, based on financial pressures, to decommission the enhanced cataract referral service, post-op cataract service, glaucoma referral refinement, glaucoma enhanced referral service, glaucoma monitoring service and West Hants enhanced triage. The ICB has extended CUES for six months while considering its plans for this service.

FODO director Alan Tinger said: “FODO members will have invested significant resources in workforce and local practices to meet this need. This latest news again highlights the very real risk that the NHS will fail to deliver the government’s three big shifts unless it prioritises primary care investment.

“Therefore, the OFNC has called on HM Treasury to ensure the government’s goals are delivered by following Darzi’s recommendation to change funding flows. NHS commissioners too often prioritise hospital spending, but we know this model is not sustainable. The King’s Fund recently noted that there had already been three decades of policy implementation failure in moving care closer to home. Sadly, the latest news in Hampshire indicates history might continue to repeat itself until the centre drives sustainable change to how NHS care is provided. In the meantime, the decision in Hampshire will benefit from a review under safeguards within the Provider Selection Regime.