15 December 2023

FODO member update - 15 December

This week:

• Take part in GOC business registrant's survey
• GOC to increase registration fees
• College of Optometrists updates sector guidance
• Wales PPV
• Last newsletter of 2023
• FODO opening hours over the festive period
• Other sector news
• Policy news

Take part in GOC business registrant's survey

FODO encourages members who are registered with the GOC to participate in its business registrant survey. The GOC has consulted sector bodies, including FODO, which contributed to the survey's design.

Please check that you are authorised to complete the survey on your organisation's behalf, as this will avoid double counting and improve overall survey quality. All the data you submit will be confidential. Complete the survey by 27 January 2024. 

GOC to increase registration fees

The GOC has announced that from April 2024, registration fees will increase by 6.6% for optometrists, dispensing opticians and body corporates. Therefore, registration will cost £405.

In other GOC updates:

• The Council has confirmed it will run a 12-week public consultation on its review of the Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians and the Standards for Optical Students for individual registrants. FODO will review this consultation on members' behalf. To participate, please email [email protected].

• The regulator has published its 2023 annual report. It shows the GOC met all 18 of the Professional Standards Authority's Standards of Good Regulation and highlights key GOC activities, including its call to evidence on the Opticians Act.

College of Optometrists updates sector guidance

The College of Optometrists has published an updated Guidance for Professional Practice (GfPP). It reflects essential developments in eye care delivery, including helpful new sections to guide optometrists on remote and virtual care.

Welcoming the updated guidance, Professor Steve Taylor, chair of the FODO Clinical Committee, said: "FODO has worked closely to support the College through this revision of the GfPP through our Clinical Committee and our two members on the Expert Review Group. The updated guidance will be very helpful to optometrists throughout the sector."

Daniel Hardiman-McCartney, lead clinical adviser at the College of Optometrists, said: "The 4th edition has many updates and contains new sections that enable optometrists to innovate the ways eye care can be delivered while still ensuring good practice and protecting the public." 

Read more. 

Wales PPV

Optometry Wales has worked with Shared Services Partnership to explore how to improve post payment verification (PPV) visits, which are due to begin in January 2024. The improvements include running practice visits remotely using Microsoft Teams if possible.

• Download the new WGOS remote PPV process
• Read FAQs on PPV
• A user guide to using Teams for PPV

Last newsletter of 2023

This is the final FODO newsletter of 2023. The next member update will be on 5 January 2024. If there are any urgent issues, we will send a member alert. Meanwhile, everybody at FODO wishes you season's greetings and a healthy and happy New Year. 

FODO opening hours over the festive period

FODO will be closed from 25-29 December and on 1 January. We will reopen on 2 January at 9am. Please note that members can still access out-of-hours support during this period. If you need anything, please email [email protected] - we will get back to you within 48 hours. If you email, we will also provide a contact number should you have an urgent matter that needs a same-day response. 

Other sector news

• Important PCSE update: Save awaiting performer
• Edinburgh researchers suggest that the eye provides a window to kidney health
• Story of discovery: NEI-funded research paves the way for new dry AMD drugs. Read more
• Calls for policy change to provide improved eye care for homeless 
• BCLA Presidential Address highlights the opportunities for growth in the contact lens sector

Policy news

Eyes Have It changes course to call for a plan

The Eyes Have It (TEHI) initiative, which initially called for a National Eye Health Strategy Bill and later an eye health strategy, is now calling for an eye health plan.

The Roche-funded initiative has published Laying the foundations for the future of eye health in England.

The latest TEHI publication follows previous calls to action from the College of Optometrists, FODO and other organisations to improve connectivity between primary and secondary care, focus on prevention, ensure we have the workforce needed to meet population needs and improve access to care and treatment.

In the report, Dr Peter Hampson, co-chair of the optical sector IT committee, reiterates ABDO, AOP and FODO's longstanding call for better IT connectivity between primary eye care and secondary care ophthalmology. The report also advocates universally available MECS/CUES, which LOCSU and the wider sector are already working towards.

TEHI adds that one of its immediate-term goals is to expand "the number of image graders and ophthalmic nurses available to boost diagnostic capacity".

Fight for Sight and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists also reported on the call for change.

Regulatory reform - health professions 

The Government is to lay legislation this week that will begin the process of regulating physician associates and anaesthesia associates through the General Medical Council.

The GOC has welcomed the draft section 60 order on Regulating Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates. Leonie Milliner, chief executive and registrar, said: "This is an important milestone in the journey towards reform of healthcare regulation, as, if approved, it will serve as a blueprint for future regulation of other healthcare professionals, including dispensing opticians and optometrists.

"Changes to our legislation, which has not been updated in over 30 years, will give the GOC greater autonomy in discharging its regulatory responsibilities to the benefit of patients and the public. It?will enable us to create a more modern and flexible system of regulation which will better protect the public and support GOC registrants."

Mark Drakeford resigns

Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, has resigned as Welsh First Minister and Welsh Labour leader.

ISP ophthalmology

David Hare, IHPN CEO, has told the HSJ that independent sector ophthalmology has helped the NHS deliver 160% more care through improved flow. He said that while ophthalmology activity has increased more than 15% since 2019, "average waits are down by as much as two weeks".