13 September 2021

FODO member update - 10 September

This week:

• Health and Care Bill - primary care call to action
• Royal College welcomes extra NHS funding and warns of workforce pressures
• Ready for National Eye Health Week?
• England GOS update
• Other sector news

Health and Care Bill - primary care call to action

FODO, as part of the OFNC, has joined forces with primary care to call for representation on Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs).

David Hewlett, FODO Director, said: "As FODO members are aware, NHS England has confirmed to the OFNC that General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) will remain a national contract with terms, fees and grants continuing to be negotiated nationally. Therefore, our focus has been on ensuring the new legislation delivers on the promise of delivering more integrated care outside hospitals.

"NHS England's proposed new structures are still very 'acute dominated'. The Bill sessions so far have been notable for the absence of any discussion about the role of primary care at strategic levels in shaping the new systems and care models. A lone GP on the Integrated Care Board will not cut it. This omission has driven the primary care representative bodies to come together in an unprecedented way to call for greater primary care representation (in its fullest sense, including optics) on Integrated Care Partnerships where local health and care strategies will be developed."

Read Primary care 'asks' of the Bill Committee.

Royal College welcomes extra NHS funding and warns of workforce pressures

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) has welcomed extra funding for the NHS to tackle the elective surgery backlog and that the government had identified delays in cataract surgery as a particular concern.

The RCOphth said: "Delays to cataract surgery can have a significant impact on a patient's ability to retain their lifestyle, independence, and caring responsibilities and could lead to falls and other preventable accidents."

The College has also called for long-term investment in the ophthalmology workforce to meet future patient needs.

Professor Bernie Chang, RCOphth President, said: "The commitment to more funding to tackle backlogs will be a relief for ophthalmologists and other eye healthcare staff battling long waiting lists. Too many patients are waiting too long for ophthalmology services, with over half a million people now waiting for treatment."

He added: "An increase in the supply of ophthalmologists and other eye care professionals is needed given we know that patient demand will rise significantly. This huge challenge can only be addressed by effective long-term workforce planning in addition to infrastructure and IT investment." 

Ready for National Eye Health Week?

This year, National Eye Health Week will take place from 20 to 26 September 2021. The week will promote the importance of good eye health and regular eye tests for all. To support the annual campaign, the College of Optometrists has created graphics that can raise awareness of the role optometrists play in the nation's eye health. Let us know what you have planned for this year's event by emailing us at [email protected]. 

England GOS update

Reminder: PCSE will be migrating its data centre this weekend. So, PCSE Online will not be available between 7pm on Saturday 11 September and 7pm on Sunday 12 September. PCSE also reminds all contractors to ensure they are familiar with its Business Continuity Guidance for Ophthalmic Contractors.

PCSE has also identified a code defect that causes the rejection of e-GOS and paper GOS 6 claims for the third or subsequent patient at an address. It hopes to rectify this issue by Thursday 16 September. In the meantime, it has requested contractors delay sending in any GOS 6 paper or e-GOS claims for this group until it has confirmed the coding issue has been resolved. 

Other sector news

The World Council of Optometry (WCO) and CooperVision have launched a new online resource on myopia management. WCO said the resources would allow "eye care professionals around the world access to multilingual assets and approaches focused on applying a standard of care to manage the condition".

To reduce sight loss following eye surgery, researchers at University College London (UCL) are investigating a new treatment that could deliver an anti-scarring agent during surgery. The hope is this will improve post-surgical healing. Learn more.

The NIH has funded a new 'white cane' that includes an onboard computer, colour 3D camera and inertial measurement sensor. The NIH said that when set up for an environment, the cane can "accurately guide a user to a desired location with sensory and auditory cues, while simultaneously helping the user avoid obstacles like boxes, furniture, and overhangs". Read more.

Optometrists in Ontario have challenged the state on a lack of funding for primary eye care services. It is also the province with the lowest eye examination fees in Canada. Learn more.

Optimism Health Group has acquired Visioncall, adding to its purchase of the Outside Clinic in 2020. Read more.