20 June 2025

FODO member update – 20 June

This week:

• Important - QiO survey
• Primary eye care can cut hospital visits
• OFNC responds to spending review
• PVG Scotland deadline reminder - 30 June
• SG expands IP scheme
• Specsavers founder made CBE in King's Birthday Honours
• AI models in eye care
• Optometrist to run ‘Custard Corner Marathon' for Samaritans
• At a glance
• Policy updates

Important - QiO survey

We invite members in England to complete this short survey on Quality in Optometry (QiO) by 6 July.
 
ABDO, AOP, the College of Optometrists, LOCSU and FODO will review your feedback as we all work to update the QiO toolkit. Taking part will help capture a broad range of user experiences in the QiO update, so don't miss the chance to help make improvements that could save you time and money. 

Primary eye care can cut hospital visits

NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor told the NHS ConfedExpo conference that optometrists are doing fantastic work and are well placed to manage even more eye conditions out of hospital. He added that primary eye care already has the infrastructure to meet more needs, with 96% of the population living within 10 minutes of a high street optometrist. Like FODO, he has called on the government to rebalance NHS expenditure by investing more in primary care.
 
In the same week, Sunday Times health editor Eleanor Hayward reported that NHS leadership feel millions of hospital outpatient appointments can be cut or transferred to the community. She added that the NHS would lean more heavily on providers such as Boots and Specsavers, "outsourcing work where suitable". Read more @Clarity. 

OFNC responds to spending review

The Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee (OFNC) and primary care partners have called on the government to ensure primary care is at the forefront of the renewed promise to shift the balance of healthcare towards prevention. In a joint statement, OFNC also warns that delivering the Government's three big shifts without funding for primary care will be challenging. Read more. 

PVG Scotland deadline reminder - 30 June

Following our 23 May update, we remind all FODO Scotland members that the three-month grace period for a managed transition to the new PVG scheme ends on 30 June. Remember to:

• Submit PVG membership applications for employed DOs, CLOs and practice managers (this is new for these groups)
• Submit Level 2 clearance requests for non-registrant staff risk assessed as needing Level 2 or PVG membership clearance - see the risk assessment tool in the link below
• Submit check requests for employed optometrists (unless you have done so in the past three years) and any locum optometrists you are engaging.

Read the full guidance.
 
If you have any other questions, please email [email protected]. 

SG expands IP scheme

The Scottish Government (SG) will have to make changes to regulations to formally roll out planned changes to the GOS specialist supplementary service. However, it has an interim solution to avoid delays in improving access to care.

From 1 August 2025, SG will enable IP optometrists and OMPs to claim higher 'specialist' supplementary eye examination fees. The fees will be £93.93 for the first appointment and £45.96 for follow-up appointments in specified circumstances when patients self-present to them. FODO Scotland and Optometry Scotland have welcomed the update.

SG will run five in-person events nationwide in June and an online event in early July to share more about these planned changes. Members with an interest in this area should read the SG letter for details. 

Specsavers founder made CBE in King's Birthday Honours

Doug Perkins received a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in this year's King's Birthday Honours for his services to business and trade. Doug said: "I can't tell you how honoured I feel to receive this award for services to business, as I have dedicated my entire career to helping people to see and hear more clearly. But, more importantly, this is recognition for the 45,000 people around the world who work for Specsavers and for our ophthalmic surgery business, Newmedica and their dedication to changing people's lives through better sight and hearing."
 
The King's Birthday Honours also included Cathy Yelf, former chief executive of the Macular Society and General Optical Council member. Cathy became an MBE for her services to people living with macular disease. 
 
Read more. 

AI models in eye care

A review of regulator-approved medical AI models in eye care has found significant variation in the quality of evidence and transparency underpinning training data. Researchers have called for regulators and manufacturers to do more to standardise reporting to build confidence in the usefulness of AI tools. Read more @Clarity.
 
Meanwhile, other researchers from the same university say they have developed an AI tool that pinpoints genetic eye diseases from scans. Learn more. 

Optometrist to run 'Custard Corner Marathon' for Samaritans

Dr Ian Beasley, head of education at the AOP and OT clinical editor, will run laps of a 0.045-mile stretch of his local town on 21 June until he reaches the marathon distance of 26.2 miles. Dr Beasley is raising money for the Samaritans in memory of a close friend who died in February 2024. Learn more and donate. 

At a glance

• PES and SeeAbility celebrate Learning Disability Week. Read more @Clarity.
• New BCLA president encourages all to watch for fast-moving technology in eye care.
• Sunderland's new £48 million Eye Hospital will be a leading centre for eye care and sustainability. Read more.
• Research provides insight into how multifocal contacts help fight myopia. Read more.

Policy updates

• NSS and NES will merge to create NHS Delivery, a new delivery function for NHSScotland and related services. Read more.
• Welsh Government announces £120 million "to carry on cutting waiting times". It includes funding for more than 20,000 cataract operations and requiring providers to have a minimum of seven cataract procedures per list, as standard, by the end of September 2025.