15 October 2021

FODO member update - 15 October

This week:

• World Sight Day review
• CET claims window closes soon - England
• Opportunity - Optometric adviser NHS Scotland
• Action: Vale of York and North Yorkshire - 31 October deadline
• Royal College - consultation on angle-closure glaucoma
• Covid - PPE portal England
• Get involved - College of Optometrists supervisor survey
• Notice of FODO AGM
• Other sector news

World Sight Day review

Thursday marked World Sight Day; here are the highlights:

• More than three million people pledged to have their eyes tested on World Sight Day. The IAPB and its members had organised 'challenge' eye exams at interesting locations worldwide to draw people's attention to eyes and vision.They included sight tests at Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro, Tower Bridge London, Bluff Point New Zealand and Brooklyn Bridge, New York. Read more.

• UN Diplomats marked World Sight Day with Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the UN, saying: "On World Sight Day, Ireland's message is that eye health has the power to unlock human potential. We know that poor eye health is both a cause of and effect of inequality for women, children, older people and those with disabilities. We know that giving a child eyeglasses can dramatically impact the quality of education they can access. We know that eye health directly impacts the ability of many to access decent work, and contribute to economic growth."

• The World Health Organization (WHO) launched an update to its Eye Care Situation Analysis Tool (ECSAT). WHO said: "The tool supports countries in the planning, monitoring of trends and the evaluation of progress towards implementing IPEC." The update includes new recommendations to align with the World report on vision and a maturity scoring system, and possible actions.

CET claims window closes soon - England

This is a reminder that the 2021 CET claims window will close at midnight on 31 October. Six thousand CET claims have already been submitted via PCSE Online. If you have not yet done so, please claim before the deadline. Watch a video or review the PCSE guide on how to make CET claims. 

Opportunity - Optometric adviser NHS Scotland

NHS Scotland is looking for two new optometric advisers. This new post will support the development of new ophthalmic community services over the next two to three years. The deadline for applications is 26 October 2021. Please share this opportunity so that optometrists in Scotland can apply. 

Action: Vale of York and North Yorkshire - 31 October deadline

PES is working with Vale of York and North Yorkshire CCGs to relaunch
Community Eye Care Services (CECS). The service includes assessing and treating a range of minor eye conditions and a glaucoma repeat measures service. Practices that wish to deliver this service will need to complete this expression of interest form no later than 31 October 2021. Learn more. 

Royal College - consultation on angle-closure glaucoma

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) is consulting on its draft Management of Angle-Closure Glaucoma clinical guideline. The consultation closes on 5 November. Learn more and take part. 

Covid - PPE portal England

A reminder to members in England with GOS contracts. You can still order PPE using the DHSC Portal. Order limits were last updated on 27 September 2021. Check here. 

Get involved - College of Optometrists supervisor survey

Can members please encourage all supervisors to take part in the College of Optometrists Supervisor Survey? 

Notice of FODO AGM

FODO will host its AGM on 16 November 2021. It will take place as a virtual event from 12.30pm to 1pm. As usual, the meeting will include the chair's and managing director's reports, a report on the audited accounts for 2020 and the election of directors. The detailed agenda and papers will be circulated in the week commencing 8 October. To attend, please contact [email protected].     

Other sector news

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) has responded to the select committees and MPs report on 'Coronavirus: Lessons learned to date'.  RCOphth said patients experienced significant delays in eye care because resources, rightly, had to be redirected to the Covid-19 effort. However, the College helped mitigate the impacts without rapid guidance, which ensured high-risk patients were seen.
 
RCOphth President Professor Bernie Chang said the pandemic had "exacerbated the long-standing workforce capacity issues across the NHS" and added: "With proper assessment and long-term planning of the health system, high demand services like ophthalmology can be better prepared for future crises. We can keep routine and high-risk patient care services functioning to avoid the build-up of backlogs we see today."
 
In related news, the latest RTT data in England shows that over 574,000 people were on incomplete ophthalmology service pathways. Incomplete pathways are the waiting times for patients waiting to start treatment at the end of the reporting period. These patients will be at various stages of their pathway, for example, waiting for diagnostics, an appointment with a consultant, or admission for a procedure.
 
Moorfields Eye Hospital's Accident and Emergency (A&E) service has won the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Patient Safety Award for Best Use of Technology. It has also been voted the best in the country in a major national survey of patients by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Read more.
 
Finally, the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) is due on 27 October; amid growing anxiety the NHS will not get the funding it feels necessary to deliver the Long Term Plan. The King's Fund has a blog on the CSR for interested members.