23 August 2024

FODO member update - August 23

This week:

• Covid-19 vaccination programme for autumn 2024
• Free tool to help you create privacy notices
• International eye care survey
• At a glance
• Health policy news

Covid-19 vaccination programme for autumn 2024

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has published a statement on the Covid-19 vaccination programme for autumn 2024. 

It shows how, with high population immunity to Covid-19, the case for vaccinating all health and care workers is "less evident" now than previously. Therefore, the JCVI states it: 

"does not advise an offer of Covid-19 vaccination within the autumn 2024 national Covid-19 vaccination programme for frontline health and social care workers..."

Instead, it recommends targeting Covid vaccines to the identified risk groups. IPC leads can read the statement in full.  

Free tool to help you create privacy notices

The ICO has created a new, quick and easy-to-use tool to help small organisations create a bespoke privacy notice and protect people's information rights. It designed the tool for various sectors, including healthcare. Practice owners can learn more about using the privacy notice generator. 

International eye care survey

European Council of Optometry and Optics (ECOO), in partnership with market research company GfK, is undertaking a Voice of the Eyecare Provider 2024 survey. 

The survey will collect data on current eyecare practices and emerging trends across Europe. Complete the survey by 13 September 2024. It should take 10 minutes to finish.

FODO will share the survey's findings with members once ECOO publishes them. 

At a glance

• GOC announces that the University of Bradford will begin delivering a MOptom (Hons) Optometry course under the updated education and training requirements from September 2024
• Charity Fight for Sight rebrands with a new logo as part of its five-year strategy following the merger with The Vision Foundation in April last year
• World Council of Optometry and CooperVision share more on their Myopia Management Navigator. Learn more
• The North East Mayor experiences the obstacles people with sight loss face thanks to a simulation by the RNIB. Read more
• LOCSU has opened registration for its regional optical conferences. Learn more and register.

Health policy news

Proposals to radically transform NHS care in England
The Tony Blair Institute has published Preparing the NHS for the AI Era, a report detailing the case for "a digital overhaul of the NHS, centred on creating a comprehensive digital health record for every citizen to leverage AI and improve healthcare delivery".

It highlights that the pan-UK NHS budget is now £225 billion and accounts for 43% of all day-to-day spending in government department budgets and how NHS spend has "outpaced GDP growth for some time". However, it acknowledges that a lack of investment in capital infrastructure has impacted NHS productivity.

The report recommends a cultural and operational shift in how the NHS uses data. It states: "choice of provider can also be a powerful driver of innovation adoption in primary care." It calls for more focus on prevention.

NHS England tells government it needs more funding
Meanwhile, the HSJ reports that NHS England has told the government it needs more funding; otherwise, it must scale back efforts to cut waiting lists. It also reports that NHS Trusts are already struggling to meet their target of a £2.2 billion planned deficit.

Advisers ask MSPs not to infer their support for NCS
The Scottish Government's plans for a new National Care Service (NCS) are again in the news. This time, health and care Scotland reports that nine expert advisers have "rejected Scottish government claims of broad support for its changes to the National Care Service Bill". The issue has arisen because expert advisers had asked MSPs not to frame the advisers' participation in the group as an endorsement of government plans. However, they have been framed as being in "broad support" or "support from a majority of members".

UK hospitals bottom of 10 high-income countries list
The Health Foundation reports that hospital performance in the UK "is consistently languishing near the bottom in a public survey of 10 high-income countries." Read more.