12 August 2022

FODO member update - 12 August

This week:

• Inflation squeezes public sector funding including healthcare
• OFNC gives heads up about crucial surveys to inform GOS fees negotiations in England
• Wales vouchers at a glance
• New NHS England national clinical director for eye care
• Primary care submission to Health and Social Care Select Committee
• National Optical Conference 2022 booking opens
• NHS cataract surgery data shows ISP capacity surge
• Webinar will put myopia guidance in the spotlight

Inflation squeezes public sector funding including healthcare

A briefing by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) on the impact of inflation on public services showed the DHSC's planned funding drops from 4.3% to 2.9% per year in real terms - wiping out large parts of its budget which are already pre-empted for planned 4.5% pay increases.

Dr Layla McCay, NHS Confederation director of policy, called for the new Prime Minister to provide "a top-up in this autumn's Budget or any emergency Budget they hold to make up the shortfall". 

OFNC gives heads up about crucial surveys to inform GOS fees negotiations in England

The OFNC and NHS England had already agreed to work together to obtain better data on the underlying cost drivers of a sight test to inform future negotiations.
 
This year, the OFNC will lead on experimental statistics by running two surveys:

• The first will ask practices to provide average NHS sight test times. This survey will be open to all practices in England to complete later this month (August). Please look for a link to this survey in our next update, as it will be open for a short period only owing to tighter deadlines for fee submissions to NHS England this year. 
• The second survey will look at a smaller sample of practices to estimate the cost of providing an NHS sight test. With a need for a quick turnaround, we are looking for volunteers to participate in this work, which should not be unduly onerous. If you are interested, please email [email protected]

Wales vouchers at a glance

FODO, supported by ABDO and AOP, has published vouchers at a glance for Wales, following earlier versions for England and Scotland. An update for Northern Ireland follows soon. 

New NHS England national clinical director for eye care

FODO welcomes the appointment of Louisa Wickham as the first NHS national clinical director for eye care.
 
FODO has already met Miss Wickham, together with other sector partners, at a roundtable event about removing barriers to minimising sight loss and building collaborations across sectors.
 
As Miss Wickham comes from a secondary care background, FODO looks forward to working with and supporting her to ensure primary eye care plays its crucial role in expanding capacity and delivering improved patient and population outcomes closer to home.
 
Read more about the new clinical director. 

Primary care submission to Health and Social Care Select Committee

OFNC, PSNC and NCHA have submitted joint evidence to the Health and Social Care Select Committee on ensuring new integrated care systems (ICSs) have autonomy but remain accountable.
 
The submission focuses on the need for primary care to be involved at every decision-making level in the new system so service development and transformation are influenced and shaped by the clinicians delivering most care to patients.
 
The primary care organisations recommend system guidance requiring integrated care boards (ICBs) to demonstrate how they have worked with primary care services (in the widest sense) when preparing and revising their five-year plans and asking Integrated Care Partnerships to have a mandated presence for Local Representative Committees.
 
Meanwhile, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) says that creating ICBs within 42 new ICSs in England creates opportunities for ophthalmology to better align with optometry and advises its members to contact ICS-eye-care-lead if they have any issues about the commissioning of eyecare services.
 
FODO would advise primary care contractors to work through their local LOCs in the first instance to maximise the influence of primary eye care within the new systems. 

National Optical Conference 2022 booking opens

LOCSU has made one free place per Local Optical Committee (LOC) available as booking opens for its National Optical Conference (NOC) in Leeds from 10-12 October.
 
The first face-to-face NOC since 2019 will include keynote speakers, workshops, drop-in sessions and opportunities to network and meet the new leadership team at LOCSU.
 
LOCs must use the discount code in the portal to get their free place but are encouraged to send more than one delegate for maximum participation and experience.
 
A session is also being included for PECs for the first time to share learning and explore whether and how LOCSU should work with PECs as well as LOCs in the new NHS landscape.
 
The conference is held in the Queen's Hotel (above the station) to reduce the NOC's carbon footprint.
 
View the booking details and conference programme. 

NHS cataract surgery data shows ISP capacity surge

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists has published an analysis of trends in NHS-funded cataract surgery in England over five years, showing a dramatic increase in independent sector provider (ISP) delivery at the start of the second Covid-19 wave.
 
Based on NHS England data from 2016-2021, the analysis showed that in December 2020, ISPs delivered 34% of NHS-funded cataract procedures, jumping to 55% in January 2021 and 59% in February 2021. The figure has since returned to a 'new normal' of 45%.
 
The analysis also revealed regional differences with West Yorkshire & Harrogate, Greater Manchester, and Cheshire & Merseyside delivering over 60% of their cataract procedures in ISPs.
 
Download the Data Report.

Webinar will put myopia guidance in the spotlight

Myopia management and recent guidance published by the College of Optometrists are the topics of a BCLA webinar to be held online on 6 September at 7pm.
 
Luke Stevens-Burt, BCLA chief executive, said the expert panellists would share their views on "what clinicians need to know and what they need to do in this emerging field of practice".
 
The webinar, facilitated by clinical consultant Richard Edwards from the Optical Consumer Complaints Service, is open to all.
 
Register for the event