Factsheets Role of the Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO)

Introduction

Eye Clinic Liaison Officers (ECLO) are based at eye hospital clinics and they provide a free service for people needing to attend eye clinics. The role of the ECLO was created because many eye care professionals and organisations felt that people needed more support when they were first told they had a significant or serious sight problem. ECLO's support people through all the stages of their eye care journey. The role of an ECLO is a relatively new service and is not provided by all hospital eye clinics.The role of an ECLO may vary from clinic to clinic.

The ECLO may be an employee of a local voluntary organisation for sight impaired people who works within a NHS hospital. Some ECLO’s work directly with children and there may be similar roles within local black and minority ethnic communities. ECLO’s will support people with learning disabilities and their carers and supporters.  ECLO's can refer and 'signpost' patients to other services, such as social services, housing, GP's and voluntary organisations for people with impaired sight.

ECLO's can support people with learning disabilities and their carers by helping them more easily understand their eye condition, treatments and eye health needs. If you are supporting a person with learning disabilities to attend a hospital eye clinic you may consider calling the ECLO to arrange a pre-visit for the person you are supporting  to discuss with the ECLO what might happen on the day of the person's eye clinic appointment.

An ECLO strives to

• Liaise between the hospital eye department and local Sensory Impairment / Rehabilitation social services teams
• Provide information about a person’s eye condition
• Provide emotional support for people about coming to terms with their eye condition
• Explain what difficulties a person may expect because of their eye condition
• Explain what help and benefits a person can receive because of their visual impairment
• Explain where a person may receive this help, both nationally and locally
• Provide information about the Visual Impairment registration process
• Ensure all information will be provided in clear accessible formats appropriate to that person’s visual impairment needs.

We recommend that you contact your local eye hospital or eye clinic to find out whether they have an ECLO on the team, or you can contact your local NHS Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) http://www.pals.nhs.uk/ for more information. 

Updated June 2011 

Related Information:

Assessment and Registration

Eye Surgery for People with Learning Disabilities

Planning the Operation

Preoperative Procedures

Day of the Operation

What to Expect at Hospital