Eye care initiative piloted in north Essex

NORTH Essex has been chosen as one of three regions to initially pilot a new NHS eye care initiative.

The EPIC (Engagement, Partnership, Information, Communication) Project is a scheme funded by the Department of Health, which will work with local partnerships to develop and implement eye health and sight loss support strategies.

NHS North East Essex, Worcestershire, and North of Tyne have been chosen as the first of 23 pilot areas that will develop local vision strategies as part of the project.

Kathy Flegg, Primary Care Commissioning Manager at NHS North East Essex, said: “We see this as an excellent opportunity to work with a wide variety of partnership groups concerned with eye health to develop a strategy that will deliver and improve current services to be effective and sustainable for the population of North East Essex and in turn the UK.”

It will initially run for three years, until March 2012.