19 April 2024

FODO member update - 19 April

This week:

• Vouchers at a glance
• Minister advises people to ‘shop around' for spectacles
• Wales publishes referral date to ophthalmology
• Public willing to pay more for ‘better NHS services'
• RNIB seeks clinical lead
• Nominations open for Research Excellence Awards 2024 
• Regulation update - Transparency in health and social care
• At a glance

Vouchers at a glance

Following the increases to NHS voucher values from April, download the latest:

• vouchers at a glance England
• vouchers at a glance Scotland

Minister advises people to 'shop around' for spectacles

Responding to a parliamentary question about the available NHS support for prescription glasses, Andrea Leadsom, Minister for Primary Care, set out how the NHS optical voucher model works in England. She said that "the cost of glasses will be set by individual optical practices, and because prices can vary, we would always advise that individuals shop around". Members who would like to order printed copies should complete this form. 

Wales publishes referral date to ophthalmology

Wales has published the latest NHS referral statistics for first patient outpatient appointments, which now cover the period from August 2020 to February 2024. The data for ophthalmology show an average of 10,171 referrals per month between February 2023 and February 2024.

Public willing to pay more for 'better NHS services'

A poll commissioned by The Telegraph newspaper found that almost half the adults surveyed would be open to 'paying to have operations more quickly and get routine opticians' check-ups'. It also found people are willing to pay more income tax to fund the NHS.

The poll was done by Savanta and Chris Hopkins, its political research director, told The Telegraph that public support for the NHS "remains incredibly high", but that these survey findings suggest that the public "perception of the state of the NHS is so bad that they appear to be willing to pay to receive a level of service that used to be more readily available".

RNIB seeks clinical lead

RNIB is advertising for a self-employed clinical lead to join and support the adoption and integration of the Eye Care Support pathway within health and social care settings. The contract is for two years and 4-6 hours per week, with each four-hour session paying £325. Learn more and apply.

Nominations open for Research Excellence Awards 2024

You can now nominate somebody for the College of Optometrists' Research Excellence Awards. The category recognises individuals who have made a significant contribution to the evidence base that underpins good practice. Learn more and nominate by 1 July 2024. 

Regulation update - Transparency in health and social care

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has published new guidance to provide regulatory certainty on how health and care organisations should keep people properly informed about personal data management.

The guidance explains that transparency measures should be proportionate to your processing activities and data protection risk. For example, organisations doing research on OCT images would need to read the guidance in greater detail than an optician's practice making minor updates to its privacy notice.

FODO will analyse this latest ICO guidance and review existing sector guidance on data protection in response. In the meantime, member's data protection leads should be made aware of the latest ICO guidance.

At a glance

• This week OT reports on Specsavers opening its 1,000th store. There is an interview with Dame Mary Perkins, the company's founder. Listen here.
• Dr Debarun Dutta, a tenured lecturer at Aston University's School of Optometry, has been appointed as the British Contact Lens Association's (BCLA) new academic chair, and will work alongside the current chair, Professor James Wolffsohn, before he steps aside next year. 
• The 'Take on 250' fundraising challenge, now in its third year of raising awareness of sight loss, has been a success for visionary members.
• Sight Loss Councils are to launch in Scotland for the first time this Spring. The expansion is made possible through a new partnership between the Thomas Pocklington Trust, Sight Scotland, Sight Scotland Veterans and Visibility Scotland. Read more.
• BBC interviews the UK's first blind overseas ambassador. Victoria Harrison, the UK's first 'fully-blind' ambassador, told the broadcaster that her sight loss can help her connect with people and build relationships with people around the world.
• A London MP has visited SeeAbility's new 'Easy Eye Care Service' scheme. Read more.
• Cambridge University researchers studying AI say that large language models are unlikely to replace healthcare professionals but might help improve clinical workflow. Read more.
• The government is seeking views on the statutory duty of candour for health and social care providers in England. This call for evidence closes at 11:59pm on 29 May. FODO's clinical committee will be reviewing this call for evidence on behalf of all members. If you would like to get involved please email [email protected]