HOSPITAL bosses have been warned that a major contract to supply eye treatment for East Lancashire patients could be taken out of their hands.

The shock move has been made amid growing dissatisfaction with the East Lancashire Ophthalmology Service.

A catalogue of complaints has been made by patients and an increasing number of GP fundholders are sending their patients to out-of-town hospitals for treatment.

East Lancashire Health Authority has now revealed that it is considering the future of the service, which is run by the Burnley NHS Trust.

Ophthalmology is one of the growing number of federated services which are run by a single NHS trust, but are provided from hospitals across the area.

A health authority report says improvements are needed in the service at the Blackburn and Hyndburn end.

One woman patient told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph that it was common for doctors to turn up late for eye clinics at Blackburn. She said during some weeks patients had been sent home because the doctors had not turned up at all. The report says: "The success and financial viability of the federated East Lancashire Ophthalmology Service remains a concern.

"Additional consultant manpower and a series of waiting list initiatives have improved the service, but the ability of Burnley Health Care NHS Trust to retain adequate levels of GP fundholder income through securing 1998/99 contracts is a significant issue.

"The health authority will be requesting lead GPs for Blackburn and Hyndburn to provide explicit objectives for further service improvement to this side of East Lancashire."

The report adds: "If levels of dissatisfaction remain and Burnley Trust has to renegotiate its service level agreements with Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust, due to reduced GP fundholder income, then the health authority, the trusts and the GPs will need to consider viable options for future provision and management."

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