04 June 2021

FODO member update – 4 June

In this week's member update:

• New education and training requirements for GOC registrants
• Global eye care targets endorsed at World Health Assembly
• MDR update - Northern Ireland
• NHSX update on EeRS - England
• Proposal to regulate to stop staff movement between care settings - England
• PCSE update
• New procurement guidance - England
• Other sector news

New education and training requirements for GOC registrants

The GOC has published its new requirements for the education and training of optometrists and dispensing opticians. These include Outcomes for Registration, Standards for Approved Qualifications, and Quality and Assurance Enhancement Method.

The GOC said the new requirements would "make sure optical professionals are equipped for their future roles in providing care to patients and service-users and that qualifications we approve are fit for purpose". It added that this would  "transform the education and training and benefit future optometrists and dispensing opticians, patients and service-users".

A new Sector Strategic Implementation Steering Group, which includes FODO, will support the GOC implement these new requirements. Members who have any questions about these changes or the implementation process, please email us at [email protected].

• Read the full GOC statement
• Read the new requirements 

Global eye care targets endorsed at World Health Assembly

The 74th World Health Assembly has approved global targets for effective coverage of refractive error and cataract surgery to be achieved by 2030.

The aim is to improve access to refractive correction and cataract surgery for millions of people. Global experts acknowledge that interventions "that address the needs associated with uncorrected refractive error and unoperated cataract are among the most cost-effective and feasible health interventions available." 

Alan Tinger, FODO director, said: "We are fortunate in the UK to have a world-leading primary eye care service, with excellent access to eye care that can manage refractive error and cataracts. The World Health Assembly again reminds us of the major public and population health benefits of primary eye care and GOS, which effectively corrects refractive error and remains one of the most cost-effective and feasible health interventions available."

• Read the World Health Assembly outcome
• Read David Hewlett's February blog on Global Eye Health

MDR update - Northern Ireland

The European Parliament's Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) came into effect on 26 May 2021 and, under the Northern Ireland Protocol, will also apply in Northern Ireland. This means that suppliers that import medical devices will now need to ensure they comply with relevant requirements in the MDR.

ECOO has created a guide on the MDR for the optical sector.

The MHRA, the UK wide regulator, has also written this open letter on importer obligations for Northern Ireland. The letter recognises that compliance may take time ("period of adaptation") and explains that MHRA will take a proportionate approach to enforcement, prioritising patient safety and uncompromised patient access to medical devices over bureaucratic requirements.  

FODO, working in collaboration with optical sector partners, is regularly in touch with the MHRA about medical device regulation and related matters. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

NHSX update on EeRS - England

NHSX has published an overview of the context and status of the eye care electronic referral systems (EeRS) management and image sharing programme. The update includes details on the support available to local primary eye care and answers some common questions. Read the NHSX update on fodo.com.

Proposal to regulate to stop staff movement between care settings - England

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published its consultation on regulations to prevent movement of staff between care settings.

DHSC says the government intends to regulate care home providers to "ensure movement between care homes and other health and social care settings is stopped in all but limited circumstances". However, it makes clear this will not apply primary eye care services, stating:

"The requirement would not include primary or community health care staff who are not employed or engaged by the home provider, for example, district and community nurses, GPs or other visiting healthcare professional."

Read more

PCSE update - England

Following our update last week, PCSE Online has completed its system updates. You can now submit any backlog of GOS claims covering the system downtime window from 7pm on Friday 28 May until 10am Sunday 30 May via PCSE Online and continue to use the system as normal. 

You can also access the PCSE Business Continuity Guidance for Ophthalmic Contractors.

New procurement guidance - England

New government guidance for England - which will apply to NHS trusts - requires public bodies to consider "the wider benefits of spending public money" as part of any procurement process.

The government said the guidance means "procurement teams have been told they must not simply award contracts to the lowest bidder - especially when wider economic benefits can be proved".

The Procurement Policy Note 05/21 states that contracting authorities should consider the following national priority outcomes alongside any local priorities:

• Creating new businesses, jobs and skills
• Tackling climate change and reducing waste
• Improving supplier diversity, innovation and resilience.

It adds that public procurement "should be leveraged to support priority national and local outcomes for the public benefit".  Policy Note 05/21 includes NHS bodies and "is intended to cover the period from date of publication to the end of the current parliament" but will be in place until it is "withdrawn, amended or replaced".

Other sector news

The RNIB and Thomas Pocklington Trust have called on the government to address challenges people with vision loss experience accessing lateral flow tests for Covid-19. The HSJ reports patient groups saying that "visually impaired people do not have equality of access to lateral flow tests".

Moorfields has appointed Peter Thomas as its new chief clinical information officer (CCIO). Peter said: "I am delighted to be offered the role of chief clinical information officer at Moorfields, and I hope to use this opportunity to use digital medicine in innovative ways to help our patients receive the best care possible."

LOCSU has made its clinical pathways open source. You can now access these pathways on the LOCSU pathways page.