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ECLO services at Richard Desmond Children’s Eye Centre (RDCEC)

Eye clinic liaison officers (ECLOs) are available throughout Moorfields networked sites to assist those living with sight loss. This includes patients, their relatives and carers.

Your ECLO can provide advice and support on:

  • Living with sight loss and remaining independent.
  • Coping with and managing particular eye conditions.
  • Services outside the hospital including social services, local support groups and national organisations for people with sight loss.
  • Registering with the local council and getting a Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI).

How can I register for a Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI)?

Your local council has a duty to keep a register of residents who are blind or partially sighted. You do not have to have your name placed on the register unless you want to. The term registration is often used to cover the whole process, but there are two distinct and separate stages:

Stage 1- certification

When an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) considers your sight loss to have reached a certain threshold; either sight impaired or severely sight impaired, they will offer to complete a Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) to indicate that you are eligible to be registered with your local council.

You will then be asked to sign the form/certificate to complete the first stage of the registration process.

Stage 2- registration (in the community)

When the council receives a copy of your Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI), someone should contact you and invite you to register as sight impaired or severely sight impaired. They will put you in contact with your local sensory impairment department.

What is the sensory impairment department?

The sensory impairment department helps anyone who has a degree of sight loss. They are able to provide services like social work support, general advice, vision rehabilitation, practical support and mobility training.

Please contact your local eye clinic liaison officer if there are any delays to the procedure above. Moorfields patients can be referred to our ECLO services by their hospital, eye health professional, optician, GP, social services team or other health specialist.