The Optical Confederation, of which FODO is an active member, welcomes the priority given to health in all party manifestos. The need to modernise and deliver more care outside hospital and closer to home to meet the growing health care needs is urgent and now long overdue. This needs to
News
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists publishes refractive surgery standards guidance for ophthalmologists
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCO) have published guidance on refractive surgery standards for surgeons. The new standards are expected to be implemented by 1 June 2017. David Hewlett, Chief Executive of FODO and Optical Confederation member said: “Having commented substantively on earlier drafts, we look forward to studying this
FODO Annual Review 2016/17
Our Annual Review for 2016/17 has just been released and was launched at the recent Optrafair event. The review looks at FODO’s work over the past financial year covering: FODO’s Chair and CEO reports Detailed policy and support update Our work in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Europe NCHA’s
Government Freezes Sight Test Fees
The Government has today announced its intention to freeze NHS sight test fees in England for the second year in a row, leaving them at 2015-16 levels for 2017-18. Optical vouchers, which provide help to patients on low incomes and to children who need spectacles, have also been frozen. The
Lynda Oliver confirmed as new Optical Confederation Chair
Following the decision to rotate the Chair amongst its members, following Chris Hunt’s retirement in October 2016, at its meeting on 21 March, the Optical Confederation (OC) Leaders’ Group – the governing partnership of the Confederation – unanimously asked Lynda Oliver to continue in the role of Optical Confederation Chair
FODO response to GOC strategic education review
Following the General Optical Council’s (GOC) call for evidence on their strategic education review, we’ve provided our response. The GOC have stated the main aim of the review is to ensure that education programmes and qualifications leading to GOC registration equip students to meet patients’ future needs, as technological change
Our response to NHS England’s AIS Review
FODO on behalf of the Optical Confederation has responded to NHS England’s postimplementation review of the Accessible Information Standard (AIS). We have highlighted that the vast majority of practicable and reasonable adjustments were a routine part of care in our sector long before the standard or indeed equalities legislation. It
The Government’s Spring Budget 2017
The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, has announced his Spring Budget. Below is a summary of the key points relevant to our members: Growth and public borrowing The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) has revised up the expected growth of the British economy from 1.7% to 2% in 2017. However, it
GOC publishes guidance on professional duty of candour
The General Optical Council (GOC) has published guidance to assist registrants in meeting its standard relating to the professional duty of candour that requires all those working in healthcare to be open, honest and transparent with patients when things go wrong and a patient has suffered physical or psychological harm
EU Court decision gives visually impaired and blind people access to more published works
People who are blind or visually impaired across Europe will have greater access to published works, following a decision by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on 14 February that the European Union (EU) has the power to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty. The Treaty, which is strongly supported by the