Existing clinical pathways for eyecare are overwhelmed with the significant backlog of patients in secondary care. Before the C-19 pandemic, four million patients in the UK were referred to hospitals but had not been treated within 18 weeks. Further, a pause on elective surgeries has meant this backlog is now at six million.
Lutra Health was founded by pioneering ophthalmology surgeons Conor Ramsden and Sam Evans. Together they have led the development of an enhanced eye care pathway that directly connects consultants to optometrists and importantly the patients themselves. Linking all three stakeholders, the enVoi app reduces pressure on secondary care by empowering optometrists to complete cataract examinations in the community, flag potential risks earlier in the pathway, and reduce the number of patient visits to the hospital.
Sam and Conor have been joined by entrepreneurs John Pincock and Charles Solanki and App developers Andy Knapp and Ed Beardwell, founders of Bearded Hen. The Blavatnik Prize for Innovation is supporting Lutra with a £25,000 grant to extend their pilot trial for enhanced cataract referrals in Devon and Scotland and allow the team to provide hands-on support to each Trust.
“We’re thrilled to partner with QantX, whose expertise aligns very closely with our mission. The Prize money will allow us to run successful trials and improve our product accordingly.” – Charles Solanki, Lutra Health.
We’re excited to join the Lutra team in their mission to solve our healthcare backlogs and move towards seamless healthcare pathways.