Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) has begun a procurement for technology to support the country’s Digital Eyecare Programme.
It has published a prior information notice for an electronic referral system (ERS) and electronic patient record (EPR) for optometrists, in primary care settings and hospitals, aimed at helping patients receive specialist care more quickly and closer to home.
The notice indicates that DHCW wants a cloud hosted solution, and while it does not state a value, the Welsh Government indicated when first announcing the programme in 2021, that it is expected to be around £8.5 million.
“The Digital Eyecare Programme is a strategic programme to transform the way in which eyecare is managed within primary and secondary care settings, including the provision of shared care across health care settings and health board boundaries,” the notice says.
“The ability for optometrists to provide enhanced eyecare services in community settings is a key component to reduce the reliance on traditional ophthalmology services provided in hospital settings.”
