28 January 2022

FODO member update – 28 January

This week:

• Covid update - England
• Scottish government confirms 3% GOS fee increase
• Primary care inquiry - Scotland
• Eye care reforms - Wales
• Health and Care Bill - update
• Eye care recovery and transformation - England
• SLT recommended for glaucoma and ocular hypertension
• FODO Clinical Committee seeks volunteers
• College of Optometrists invites nominations for College Council
• FODO responds to GOC consultation on illegal practice
• UCL researchers report on increased prevalence of myopia
• Other sector news

Covid update - England

The government is to ease Covid-related social care restrictions in care homes in England. The measures include removing any limit on the number of visitors allowed from 31 January. Care homes will also only have to follow outbreak management rules for 14 rather than 28 days. Read more. 
 
NHS England has confirmed that, despite the country returning to Plan A as of 27 January, current infection prevention control guidelines remain in place across all healthcare settings. The guidelines include the need for universal use of face masks for staff, face masks or coverings for all patients and visitors (unless exempt), and physical distancing of at least one metre. Communications resources to support NHS providers are available here. 

Scottish government confirms 3% GOS fee increase

This week the Scottish government confirmed that GOS fees would increase by 3%, backdated to April 2021. 
 
Public health minister Maree Todd said: "[GOS] is one of the many NHS success stories in Scotland. Increasing the fees paid to optometrists for providing this vital service ensures that everyone across the country can continue to access high-quality eye care services."
 
David Quigley, chair, Optometry Scotland, said: "We welcome the announcement of a 3% increase to GOS fees. These are significant developments, which acknowledge the excellent service provided by community eyecare colleagues across Scotland." 

Primary care inquiry - Scotland

The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has launched an inquiry into the different ways patients access healthcare services in Scotland in a review into alternative pathways into primary care. The committee wants to hear about non-GP based services, such as optometry, which are the first point of contact for service users.
 
FODO Scotland will work with Optometry Scotland and other sector partners to respond to this inquiry, highlighting how primary eye care services in Scotland have set the benchmark for primary care access. If you would like to participate in FODO's policy work, please email [email protected].
 
Read more about the inquiry. 

Eye care reforms - Wales

In its latest primary care bulletin, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) explains how the new contract for optometry in Wales is intended to expand clinical management in primary care. As part of the reform, HEIW is "focusing on understanding the new contract and how it applies to practice so that training programmes can be tailored. Mentoring, support and quality improvement are also essential to deliver to the workforce over the next three years to support this new way of working". In preparation, HEIW commissioned over 30 higher qualifications in glaucoma and medical retina management in 2021. 

Health and Care Bill - update

The government has recognised the important roles the primary care professions should play in the new Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs) in England. The BMA, BDA, OFNC and PSNC had backed an amendment to the Health and Care Bill, pressing for mandated roles within Integrated Care Partnerships for Local Representative Committees, including LOCs.
 
As anticipated, the amendment was withdrawn (as most are at the committee stage of a government bill) but drew the following helpful commitments from health minister Lord Kamall: "We fully expect primary care professionals to be involved in the work of ICPs. Each partnership will need to involve a wide range of organisations and representatives from across the system, including professionals from primary medical, dental, pharmaceutical and optical backgrounds as they prepare their strategy [...] one ICP may wish to formally appoint certain members, whereas a neighbouring ICP may wish to have an extensive range of consultees, and a third may decide to invite primary care representatives to join a subcommittee instead."

Together with the other optical national bodies, FODO will seek to ensure these commitments are honoured when ICPs are set up later this summer. 

Eye care recovery and transformation - England

In the latest National Eye Care Recovery and Transformation Programme?(NECRTP) update, NHS England confirms that enabling optometry to expand clinical services outside hospital remains one of its six priority areas for the Covid recovery period.  NECRTP highlights the Optometry First Toolkit on the FutureNHS platform, which "lays the foundations for primary care optometrists as First Contact Care Practitioners and for monitoring patients with long term conditions such as glaucoma".
 
Twelve areas have expressed interest in becoming early adopters of Optometry First supported by the NECRTP. These areas are now being assessed against agreed criteria, with the aim of shortlisting early adopters by the end of January. Further details will be given once the process is completed. However, none of this prevents other Integrated Care Systems from implementing Optometry First as part of their local plans.
 
You can learn more about Optometry First by watching this webinar.
 
The NECRTP also confirmed that, following new NHS planning guidance, NECRTP will aim to help ICSs reduce outpatient follow-ups by a minimum of 25% against 2019/20 activity levels by March 2023.
 
Members with any questions about NECRTP can contact us at [email protected]. 

SLT recommended for glaucoma and ocular hypertension

NICE has recommended offering selective laser therapy (SLT) to people diagnosed with glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

It said: "The recommended changes in clinical practice will reduce the number of patients needing eye drops and make savings for the NHS."

The NICE recommendation aims to "reduce the use of eye drops and potentially decrease the need for some patients to undergo cataract or intraocular pressure-lowering surgery".

Dr Paul Chrisp, director for the Centre for Guidelines at NICE, said: "Usually, eye drops are initially prescribed to lower the pressure in the eye. However, the evidence showed that first-line treatment with selective laser therapy is more cost-effective than eye drops.

"The guideline has been developed following a public consultation last year, and we are recommending that local healthcare services carrying out laser therapy should be providing their staff with training on the treatment. It is crucial that healthcare professionals discuss the benefits and risks with patients, family members and carers to agree on a treatment plan for each person."

• Read the full press release. 
• Read the NICE guideline.

FODO Clinical Committee seeks volunteers

Would you like to join FODO's new Clinical Committee? As a member, you will lead and advise us on clinical matters, clinical risk mitigation and management, and clinical governance. The committee will also produce guidance for members and work with sector partners. To volunteer, you must be a FODO member and GOC registrant. Please send your CV and covering email to [email protected] by 10 February.

College of Optometrists invites nominations for College Council

The College of Optometrists invites nominations for new Council members across eight regions. Learn more and apply for the volunteer roles by 25 February 2022.  

FODO responds to GOC consultation on illegal practice

FODO has responded to the GOC's revised illegal practice strategy and protocol, last reviewed in 2015. Read FODO's response to the consultation. 

UCL researchers report on increased prevalence of myopia

UCL researchers studied over 107,000 people within the UK Biobank and found that 29% of people had myopia within the younger population compared with 20% in people born between 1939 and 1944. The marked shift over a relatively small amount of time has led researchers to believe that environmental factors are probably the key driver. Read the UCL press statement. 

Other sector news

The Optician reports on a GlobalData study which estimates cases of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) could reach 8.84 million by 2030.

The Macular Society has published a Q&A on the Moorfields Eye Hospital PRIMAvera clinical trial. The trial actively recruits patients with advanced dry AMD and no central vision: read more.

Researchers claim to have developed an AI system that can analyse eye scans and identify patients at a high risk of a heart attack.

In related news, research suggests that the retina's biological age relative to a person's actual age might help predict mortality risk.

In England, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has a statutory duty to review the Handbook to the NHS Constitution every three years. The handbook has been updated following the recent review. Access the 27 Jan 2022 version.

Health Education England (HEE) has launched a new online search platform to give NHS staff and learners access to the latest research findings along with decades of published evidence all in one place.

Durham County Council, The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company and national charity SeeAbility have produced a new film about eye care services for people with learning disabilities in Durham. Visit the LOCSU website.

Partners of Haine & Smith optical practices have donated over £150,000 since 1995 for local community groups across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. Read more.