10 January 2025

FODO member update – 10 January

This week:

• Sector responds to government's plans for NHS in England
• GOS reforms in Wales celebrated by government
• GOC business regulation consultation
• GOC publishes new standards
• At a glance
• Policy updates

Sector responds to government's plans for NHS in England

This week, the government published plans to cut waiting lists and a new deal with independent sector providers, referring to a new elective care recovery plan which NHS England has published.
 
ABDO, the College of Optometrists and FODO have published a joint response to the latest government announcement. The three organisations call on the government to prioritise investment in primary eye care to prevent avoidable sight loss due to delays in the hospital eye service. 

GOS reforms in Wales celebrated by government

In the latest Welsh Government Eye Care Digest, David O'Sullivan, optometric adviser to the government, thanked the profession for supporting recent WGOS reforms. He said implementing these reforms "marked a turning point in the evolution of eye health in Wales".
 
The government publication also celebrates record numbers of patients managed in primary eye care settings, highlighting "the important role optometrists are playing in managing more complex conditions". It noted that more than 2,000 monthly appointments are now being provided under the WGOS5 pathway and WGOS4 is being rolled out. 

GOC business regulation consultation

As planned, we have drafted our initial response to the GOC consultation on business regulation. We have shared it with all members who kindly volunteered their time to participate. If you want to send us your final thoughts on the GOC consultation, please email [email protected] by 5pm on 17 January. 

GOC publishes new standards

The GOC has published the new Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians, Standards for Optical Students, and Standards for Optical Businesses. This follows a consultation and previous updates on what would be changing. The new standards began from 1 January 2025. All members are advised to review the entire GOC press release. 

At a glance

• The Royal College of Ophthalmologists president responds to the NHS elective recovery plan.
• Latest NHS ophthalmology data in Wales shows 160,450 patient pathways, where the patient was assessed as Health Risk Factor R1, were waiting for an outpatient appointment.
• The OFNC has published a statement on the special schools' eyecare service fee, which describes its concerns about the proposed level of funding for this new service. Read more.

Policy updates

• On the new deal with independent sector providers noted above, Wes Streeting, health and social care secretary, said: "Millions of patients are being forced to wait unacceptably long for treatment, failed by 14 years of neglect of the NHS. This government will pull every lever available to get patients treated on time again." He added that he was "not going to allow working people to wait longer than is necessary when we can get them treated sooner in a private hospital, paid for by the NHS. If the wealthy can be treated on time, then so should NHS patients." 

• Several MPs have proposed an amendment to the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill. This is unlikely to pass, but the amendment aims to limit the impact of NI increases in primary eye care.