30 July 2021

FODO member update – 30 July

This week:

• New: Covid-19 domiciliary guidance
• College updates amber phase guidance
• Joint statement on our vision for safe and sustainable patient eye care services
• UN backs Vision for Everyone
• Praise for trainees qualified since January 2021
• Election of CCEHC Chair and Vice-Chair
• NHS England appoints first female Chief Executive

New: Covid-19 domiciliary guidance

The Domiciliary Eyecare Committee (DEC) has today published updated guidance for domiciliary eye care providers and practitioners for the next phases of the Covid-19 pandemic. It updates guidance originally issued in June 2020 and takes account of latest knowledge about infectivity, the availability of PPE, vaccination and lateral flow testing.

• Read the DEC press release.
• Read the full guidance.

College updates amber phase guidance

The College has updated its Amber phase Covid-19 guidance and Covid-19 FAQs. It has also produced a short video that addresses common questions. The College made changes to:

• Appropriate use of disinfecting agents on surfaces and equipment
• Safe and proportionate use of disposable PPE
• Patient prioritisation management
• Reintroduction of Alger brush and microblepharoexfoliation (BlephEx) procedures
• Managing patients without face coverings
• Supply of contact lenses to an expired specification.

Joint statement on our vision for safe and sustainable patient eye care services

The College of Optometrists and Royal College of Ophthalmologists have released a joint statement on their vision for safe and sustainable patient eye care services.
 
The Colleges have made clear that services must develop "more integrated eye care between all relevant organisations across the hospital eye service, the independent sector, community settings and primary care optometry". The hope is that this service evolution will help meet needs and prevent "harmful delays to treatment in the hospital eye service (HES) due to a lack of capacity", which were recognised before the pandemic.
 
The vision is to "provide pathways that ensure patients are prioritised based on their clinical need and to receive care that is appropriate and accessible. Multidisciplinary professionals will provide that care working collaboratively in primary care, community and hospital settings". Recommendations cover changes to pathways, professional development, models of care, funding, referral, and governance.

Read the full statement. 

UN backs Vision for Everyone

Following the 2019 World report on vision, the UN has supported a new Vision for Everyone resolution as part of its Sustainable Development Goals. This calls on 193 member nations to ensure everybody has access to eye care by 2030. Read more. 

Praise for trainees qualified since January 2021

The College thanked trainees and trainers for their "conduct, hard work and dedication" in the face of difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic, after qualifying 655 new optometrists and 82 new IP optometrists since January 2021. Read the full story. 

Election of CCEHC Chair and Vice-Chair

The Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning (CCEHC) has elected Wojciech Karwatowski as its Chair and Zoe Richmond as Vice-Chair. They take up their posts in October 2021. Read more. 

NHS England appoints first female Chief Executive

Amanda Pritchard has been appointment Chief Executive Officer of NHS England when she takes up the role on 1 August.  She said: "I am honoured to lead the NHS, particularly as the first woman chief executive of an organisation whose staff are more than three-quarters female."
 
The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid and Lord David Prior, Chair of the NHS England Board, welcomed Amanda's appointment. Lord Prior said: "She could have had no better preparation for the role than serving as the NHS' Chief Operating Officer during the greatest health emergency in its history."
 
Learn more.