07 December 2022

Optometry Wales statement on concerns about changes to voucher values

Since announcing planned GOS contract reforms in Wales, feedback on the plans to make eye examinations more sustainable and to extend the scope of clinical services, has been overwhelmingly positive. The profession has however also shared significant concerns about plans to reduce the NHS support children and patients on means tested benefits can access towards the cost of essential vision correction.

To confirm, as a negotiating team, Optometry Wales were not in favour of supporting the changes to the voucher system in Wales. We fought for Welsh Government to consider both retaining the current system and when details of the 2% increase were announced in the middle of the negotiations for England, we also argued for this to be reflected as historically has happened.

Our negotiating team, the Board and Council and Regional Optical Committees (ROCs) were strongly opposed to any change to vouchers. Welsh Government has however insisted on a reduction to the most claimed vouchers and advised that they had to make a political choice about this patient benefit in the context of overall NHS reforms.

Welsh Government undertook its own research into the cost of a limited selection of lenses and frames and used this to set new voucher values. We appreciate this does not represent the full range of incurred cost across all practices and that practices might struggle to offer what they do now within the voucher range. Welsh Government does understand patient choice is likely to reduce as a result of this change in voucher values.

Please be assured that Optometry Wales continues to share all sector feedback with Welsh Government. This includes concerns about the reduction in this important patient benefit and the impacts of this policy decision on patients given current economic circumstances and for those in domiciliary care . Please do keep sending all feedback to Optometry Wales as we along with Welsh Government remain committed to supporting a sustainable model of optometric services.

Source: https://www.optometrywales.org.uk