01 August 2025

FODO member update - 1 August

This week:

• Scottish Government confirms 4% uplift
• New GOC consultation
• Colleges call for standard electronic health records
• Research: Mental health among UK optometrists
• Ophthalmology patients suffer long waits in Scotland and Wales
• At a glance
• Policy news

Scottish Government confirms 4% uplift

The Scottish Government has confirmed it will increase all GOS fees by 4% for 2025-26, which Optometry Scotland has welcomed.

It has also published a new PCA that provides detailed updates on changes to GOS. Members in Scotland should read the PCA in full. 

New GOC consultation

GOC is consulting on its draft guidance for registrants on maintaining appropriate sexual boundaries and care of patients in vulnerable circumstances. The consultation closes on 21 October. If you would like to contribute to the FODO response, please email [email protected] by 11 October.

Colleges call for standard electronic health records

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists has been joined by the College of Optometrists and independent sector ophthalmology in calling for common information standards across the UK, including standardised electronic health records (EHRs) in eye care.

The work, led by the Royal College, calls on all UK health systems to commission information standards across eye care services based on datasets developed by the Colleges. It also seeks to impose standards on EHR providers that ensure built-in datasets, compliance with forthcoming DICOM standards to enable sharing of OCT images, and for eye care providers to train "all relevant staff" to collect and input data into EHRs.

The ophthalmology-led coalition calls on "policymakers to provide the financial investment necessary" to make this happen.

Research: Mental health among UK optometrists

Researchers from Bradford, Leeds and Berkeley universities conducted an online survey of UK-based optometrists to assess psychological distress, depression and anxiety.

Of the 1,303 optometrists who participated in the online survey, 37% had moderate-to-severe psychological distress scores, 28% had anxiety, and 24% screened positive for depression.

The researchers said key markers for these scores were younger age, lower self-reported physical health and the absence of additional roles. They report that those with higher qualifications and undertaking additional roles might experience improved mental wellbeing, although further research is needed. They also highlight the potential need for more support for early-career optometrists. Read the full paper.  

Ophthalmology patients suffer long waits in Scotland and Wales

Gareth Davies MS, Senedd member for Vale of Clwyd, has raised concerns about inequalities in access to ophthalmology in Wales, with private patients able to access care within weeks while NHS patients can wait years to have cataract surgery. Read more.

The Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has launched an investigation into extended waits for cataract surgery after a newspaper revealed that patients have waited up to three years for care. Read more. 

At a glance

• BBC reports on closure of community eye clinic in Cornwall, as the local ICB shifts care back to hospital. A patient pointed out how the system has said it wants to shift care to the community, "yet this is doing the opposite".
• The GOC has approved the three final projects led by the Sector Partnership for Optical Knowledge and Education (SPOKE) to support the transition to the new ETR. Read more.
• The staff and trustees of Moorfields Eye Charity pay tribute to Professor Pete Coffey, who died in June 2025 after a?long illness. Read more.
• A new glaucoma procedure has been performed on NHS patients for the first time by Newmedica, says Optician. It also reports on Newmedica's support of 10,000 patients who attended ophthalmology appointments through its taxi service.
• Optician also reports on more than 1.4 million people visiting Specsavers across the UK for enhanced eye care. 
• Angharad Jones, policy manager at the GOC, reflects on the findings from the 2025 public perceptions and lived experience research. Read the blog.
• Royal College of Ophthalmologists announces its first honorary fellows. Read more.

Policy news

Wes Streeting challenges pay demands

Wes Streeting has written an open letter to the BMA resident doctors committee. The letter challenges co-chairs on the approach to industrial action, stating that there is no money for a more significant pay increases this year. However, he said the government is willing to work on other things to improve working conditions.

Mr Streeting has also written in the Guardian, stating the government will "stand firm" against BMA demands for further pay uplifts this year. He said he had a responsibility to other non-medical staff who had not received the pay uplifts recently awarded to doctors.

The BMA has responded by saying: "Resident doctors want this to have been their last strike. We are asking Mr Streeting to leave the political rhetoric behind and put the future of the NHS first." They go on to say he could have prevented the strike with a "credible offer".

Meanwhile, Healthcare Leader reports on Sir Jim Mackey, NHS England CEO, saying the NHS had learnt from past strikes and been able to mitigate some impacts of the current action. However, he added that "the BMA had demanded 'extortionate pay rates' for doctors that were asked to continue running services during the strike action under patient safety mitigations (PSMs)".