Wales
DRSSW Grading Protocol
May 2007
The new DRSSW Grading Protocol on Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy was announced on 23 April 2007.
For more information click here
Making Accurate Claims in Wales
March 2007
Making Accurate Claims in Wales offers guidance on GOS, the optical voucher scheme and the Wales Eye Care Initiative (WECI).
To download click here
CET Payments
January 2007
The mechanism for payments for optometrists and OMPs for continuing education and training (CET) has been put in place. All optometrists and OMPs contracted to provide GOS in Wales should be contacted by their LHB to advise them on making a claim for CET undertaken in 2004-05.
CET payment for 2004: £270
CET payment for 2005: £425
CET payment for 2006: £436
To download the notice of Welsh CET payments click here
Post Payment Verification
November 2006
BSC Wales has issued a protocol and guidance for Post Payment Verification of GOS Ophthalmic Service Claims.
Click below to download:
Eye Care Wales
The Eye Care Wales website provides a useful resource, including lists of accredited practitioners, details of the children's low vision project and diabetic screening. To go to the website click here
Eye Health Examination Fee Increase
April 2006
The fee for the Wales Eye Health Examination increases to £40. Dr Brian Gibbons, Wales Health Minister, announced the rise at the Welsh National Optometric Conference, held in Swansea in April 2006. Dr Gibbons congratulated optometrists and dispensing opticians on the contribution they made to primary eyecare in Wales and hoped that they would continue to play a significant part in the primary care team.
Optometry Wales Survey Results
March 2006
Results from the OW survey of practitioners carried out by TMR have been published and are available to download here.
New listing arrangements
1 February 2006
Listing arrangements mirroring those in England came into effect in Wales on 1 February 2006. A transitional period ran until 1 August 2006. FODO's guidance on ophthalmic lists in England is available here.
Optometrists in Wales providing GOS will either be listed on an ophthalmic list or a supplementary list. Practices in Wales owned by DOs or lay people, and limited companies not registered with the GOC, cannot be GOS contractors.
The ophthalmic list is for contractors - the optometrists who make claims for the payment of GOS fees. A contractor could be the practice owner, a sole trader or a partner, and if they can fully meet the GOS Terms of Service concerning, for example, record keeping, premises and equipment. An employed optometrist is deemed to be an 'assistant' delivering GOS would be on the supplementary list. An optometrist who is the director of a Corporate Body which is (or can be) registered with the GOC, must also be listed on the supplementary list.
The lists will be held centrally for the whole of the principality. Optometrists in Wales will now only need to apply once to be listed, regardless of the number of places they work. All optometrists in Wales, including locums, are being asked to complete a form confirming their place of work, working hours and their status at that practice, whether proprietor or employee.
These regulations extend to domiciliary sight tests (for which separate guidance is available) and will also allow optometrists in Wales to refer patients directly to a hospital service, rather than referring them initially through their GP.
The BSC intend to send out form OL1 for the contractors who are responsible for the GOS terms of service to complete, and form SOL1 for those that assist in the provision of the terms of service.
The forms ask that the contractor indicates the LHB on whose list they wish to be on, based on where they undertake the majority of their work. An inclusion letter will then be sent to confirm on which LHB's list they have been included and to give details of their new list number. The format of the new list number is: OL (contractor) or SOL (supplementary), GOC number, LHB code (eg SOL 01-12345 6B3).
Any queries or appeals will be made to and dealt with by the Ophthalmic Performers List Team at the BSC Mid & West office. Contact: Contracts Support Manager, BSC Mid & West Wales, The Oldway Centre, 36 Orchard Street, Swansea. SA1 5AQ
