FODO member update - 3 February

This week:

MHRA UK: IOL safety alert
FODO - member consultation on strategy for eye care
GOC action: all members
Primary eye care wellbeing survey
NHSE Telemedicine - invitation
Other sector news
Finance and policy updates

MHRA UK: IOL safety alert

The MHRA issued this pan UK alert on 1 February about the following IOLs:

EyeCee One preloaded,
EyeCee One Crystal preloaded

In case you missed it, ABDO, AOP, The College of Optometrists and FODO issued this guidance note for primary eye care on 1 February.

Please note the following updates:

Members in England should read this NHSE letter.
Members in Northern Ireland should have received an email from Ophthalmic Services on 1 February. The email explained that nobody had been fitted with these products in Northern Ireland, but they might have had the IOLs fitted elsewhere. The email set out what to do next. If you have not received this, please email us at [email protected], and we will forward you a copy.
Members in Scotland should read this update.
Members in Wales have received the MHRA update directly. The College of Optometrists and Optometry Wales will keep you up to date.

FODO - member consultation on strategy for eye care

Many thanks to members who have already volunteered time to help develop FODO's strategic principles and priorities for primary eye care. We will shortly be issuing the working draft for wider member consultation. We welcome and value all feedback as we want to get this right for all members and the patients you serve. The consultation will launch next week and run for four weeks. We will also be sharing the draft with sector partners.

GOC action: all members

All GOC registrants can now renew GOC registration for 2023/24. To renew, log in to your MyGOC account and click Apply for renewal.

You must complete this by 15 March.

Primary eye care wellbeing survey

NHS England has commissioned a survey to understand better the primary care workforce's wellbeing, including all primary eye care teams. Please consider taking part in the initiative and sharing this survey link with colleagues.

NHSE Telemedicine - invitation

Louisa Wickham, NHS England's national clinical director of eye care, is looking for examples of local eye care innovation, transformation, and best practice which telemedicine could enhance. Read more about the scope of this work and how to get involved.

Other sector news

OSA to host transforming eye care with AI at 100% Optical. Read more.
The organisers of National Eye Health Week (NEHW) have confirmed this year's awareness campaign will run from 18 to 24 September to spread the word on eye health. You can register for free resources by emailing your name, business name and contact details to [email protected].
Can you support the Optoversity Challenge? Vision Care for Homeless People (VCHP) is looking for 15 exhibitors at 100% Optical to help Optoversity - the friendly competition between UK optometry students. If interested, please contact VCHP directly by emailing [email protected] by 10 February 2023.
BBC reports on the most-followed YouTuber supporting 1,000 cataract operations.
RNID has said that thousands of jobs are at risk due to government failures in managing the Access to Work scheme.

Finance and policy updates

PQs. Peter Dowd, Labour MP for Bootle, has asked the secretary of state for health and social care several questions about what is being done to improve access to eye care and prevent avoidable sight loss. This included questions about glaucoma care, improving access to MECS across England, and national rollout of MECs.

Neil O'Brien responded by acknowledging "prevention, early detection, and access to timely treatment are all key to preventing sight loss" and that NHS sight tests play an important role.

Responding to other questions he said that in England, commissioning enhanced eye care is down to integrated care boards but referenced the work of NHS England's transformation programme is doing to improve access and patient outcomes.

Corporation tax changes 1 April 2023

A reminder that from 1 April 2023 Corporation Tax is changing:

A small profits rate of 19% will apply for companies with profits of £50,000 or less
Companies with profits between £50,000 and £250,000 will pay tax at the main rate, reduced by a marginal relief. This provides a gradual increase in the effective Corporation Tax rate
Profits above £250,000 will be taxed at 25%

Read more.

Bank of England (BoE) increases interest rates again. The Bank Rate is now 4%, its highest in 15 years. BoE said inflation remains at about 10% and that raising interest rates was still the best way for it to tackle this. FODO is asking members to share examples of how the cost-of-living crisis and inflation impact the services they offer patients or patients accessing eye care. Please email [email protected] with any examples.

NHS in England likely to end year with £600,000,000 deficit, reports the HSJ. To add to financial challenges, NHS England has reminded the NHS pay review body that NHS pay accounts for £70 billion, about 65% of provider costs, and that each additional 1% increase in pay costs about £1 billion, money it does not have.

NHS Digital and NHS England have completed their merger. Read more. The eye care sector has continued supporting NHS England on IT connectivity through this period of organisational, system and personnel change.