16 May 2025

FODO member update – 16 May

This week:

• Hospital ophthalmology continues recovery
• Health minister vows to help providers with NI increase
• Optometrists play vital role in diagnosing eye cancer
• HEIW invites expressions of interest in multiple courses
• GOC to write to business registrants not meeting requirements
• ‘Spex Pistols' opticians changes name after band's legal threat
• At a glance
• Policy news

Hospital ophthalmology continues recovery

The latest NHS referral to treatment (RTT) data in England shows that 586,097 patients were waiting for an ophthalmology appointment in March, with 68.2% seen within the 18-week RTT target. The hospital eye service now sees more than 65% of patients within the 18-week RTT target. Therefore, the number of people waiting beyond the target date is slowly improving. While ophthalmology remains the largest outpatient speciality in total activity, it no longer has the most incomplete pathways. It also now accounts for 8% of all incomplete pathways, compared to 10% of pathways in May 2023. 

Health minister vows to help providers with NI increase

The Department of Health in Northern Ireland has acknowledged that increases in employers' national insurance (NI) contributions will unfairly hit providers "with additional costs for reasons entirely outside their control".
 
In response, health minister Mike Nesbitt has agreed to provide funding to help primary eye care providers with the increase in NI bills. The press release states that £1 million will be spent on General Ophthalmic Services (GOS), £2.5 million on dental services and £4 million on pharmacies.

Please note that this will only apply to GOS in Northern Ireland, and complete details of the exact funding impacts are pending. 

Optometrists play vital role in diagnosing eye cancer

The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust says optometrists play a vital role in the early diagnosis of retinoblastoma. Read more. 

HEIW invites expressions of interest in multiple courses

Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) will fund some optometrists to undertake the following courses starting this autumn.

• Professional Certificate in Medical Retina
• Professional Certificate in Glaucoma
• Higher Certificate in Glaucoma
• Independent Prescribing programmes

HEIW expects course graduates to deliver WGOS services in these areas. Visit the GOV UK website for eligibility information and complete this form to apply.

The deadline for applications is 11.59pm on 27 May 2025. 

GOC to write to business registrants not meeting requirements

The GOC is reviewing business registrant data at Companies House to ensure that over 50% of directors are registrants. If the GOC's routine review indicates the business no longer meets this requirement, it will write to the business, giving it 10 working days to address the issue. The GOC will start the 28-day statutory notice for removal if a company fails to respond.
 
We advise members registered with the GOC to ensure their Companies House data is current. 

'Spex Pistols' opticians changes name after band's legal threat

Dundee spectacles and lens maker Richard Cook has underscored the importance of protecting your practice's intellectual property after having to change his shop's punk-inspired nickname, Spex Pistols.
 
Richard told Dundee Culture magazine he had missed the trademark renewal deadline for various reasons and could not afford to fight the Sex Pistols, who had issued a cease-and-desist notice. Instead, he chose to rename the shop Land O'Spex in homage to a popular bakery called Land O'Cakes. 

At a glance

• New BCLA CEO hails 'revolution in global eye health'
• Leading eye hospital issues alert to reduce number of allergic conjunctivitis patients attending the emergency department
• College of Optometrists announces members can now access new eBooks
• Fight for Sight and BIOS announce £15,000 research grant open to applications until 16 July
• The Ophthalmologist reviews University of Liverpool AI-enabled detection of rare ocular cancers and the use of retinal imaging in examining babies and young children.

Policy news

• The Guardian reports on NHSE England CEO clarifying that the country can no longer afford big NHS spending increases and that the health service must "learn to live with smaller annual budget rises". It highlights that the NHS could overspend by £6 billion this year without significant change.
• MPs say government has no clear plan for abolishing NHS England, reports the BBC.
• New parliamentary inquiry aims to build cross-party consensus for improving access to primary care services. FODO will work with sector partners and the NCHA to optimise engagement with this new inquiry.
• DHSC says NHS leaders face 'carrot and stick' in new performance drive.