28 November 2025

FODO member update – 28 November

This week:

• DHSC engages with ISPs to reduce waiting times
• Important updates on GOS-SS
• AI detects diabetic retinopathy with expert precision
• GOC streamlines international routes to registration
• At a glance
• Policy news

DHSC engages with ISPs to reduce waiting times

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched a preliminary market engagement exercise to explore opportunities for the independent sector (IS) to support the NHS in delivering diagnostic services and reducing waiting lists.

The engagement seeks to understand how IS providers can help the NHS return to constitutional standards for diagnostics (99% of patients receiving a diagnostic test within six weeks by March 2029). The NHS estimates that 35% of the additional diagnostic capacity in the next four years must come from the independent sector, equating to about two million tests.

The engagement is open to all companies involved in healthcare diagnostics and related services. The market engagement closes at midday on 18 December. You can find further details here.

Important updates on GOS-SS

The Scottish Government has announced further details for the full implementation of the GOS Specialist Supplementary Services (GOS-SS) in January 2026. The GOS-SS supports IP optometrists and OMPs, via enhanced fees, to manage patients with specific acute anterior eye conditions.
 
The latest PCA shares more details on the new scheme, including how to apply to join it and the fees to be paid. It also confirms that amendments regulations have been laid before the Scottish Parliament and, subject to these passing, the changes will come into effect on 1 January 2026, with full implementation expected from 19 January. This date is when IP optometrists and specialist OMPs will be able to accept referrals for GOS-SS.
 
Kathryn Trimmer, FODO Scotland's chair, said: "I am delighted that primary care optometrists have been recognised - and now remunerated - for their safe and effective acute eyecare care close to patients' homes, through the full implementation of this new service." 

Members should note that there is an application process for entering into arrangements with a Health Board to provide GOS-SS, which will open on 24 November 2025. You can access both Stream A and Stream B applications on this webpage. If you intend to offer this service, please read the complete PCA. 

AI detects diabetic retinopathy with expert precision

A study published in The Lancet Digital Health shows that some commercially available automated AI tools for diabetic eye screening can match or outperform human graders in detecting moderate-to-severe non-proliferative or proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
 
Eight companies whose AI tools are 'CE-marked' took part. When asked to flag images requiring clinical review, the sensitivity ranged from 83·7% to 98·7% for referable diabetic retinopathy. 

GOC streamlines international routes to registration

The GOC has published the outcome of its research into whether applications for registration from optical professionals and graduates who have qualified outside the UK meet its new education and training (ETR) requirements.

The GOC has confirmed that optometry qualification systems in Canada and the US match or exceed the ETR, enabling direct entry to the GOC register. The GOC will therefore consider direct entry for these individuals with immediate effect.

Optometrists from Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, where there is sufficient evidence of clinical experience, might also be eligible for direct entry. In all other cases, international optometrists must complete a short, approved GOC qualification if eligible, or will not be eligible to join the register via an international route.

Read more.

At a glance

• FODO comments on research into vision problems at work. Read the Optician article 
• The College of Optometrists celebrated research excellence in optometry, optics and vision science at its annual awards ceremony in London
• Optometry Wales names the finalists for this weekend's Optometrist of the Year awards in Cardiff
• Delegates can book to take part in LOCSU's latest LOC induction course, set to begin on 12 January
• Simon Antrobus to take over from Matt Stringer as CEO of RNIB in 2026. Read more
• Gavin Berkerey has joined ABDO in the newly created position of communications and engagement director, according to Dispensing Optics
• Chinese display screen equipment company releases a white paper introducing the first eyecare technology framework that sets natural light as the gold standard, the Financial Times reports.

Policy news

Government abandons day-one unfair dismissal rights
 
The government has decided against implementing its manifesto commitment to give all workers the right to claim unfair dismissal from day one of their job. They now plan to introduce this right from six months, compared to two years at present. The BBC reports that most unions were comfortable with the change.
 
The Budget

Business and employment
The principal Budget announcement for the business sector was the rebalancing of the business rates system, which the Treasury hopes will benefit high street businesses. The other headline announcement was an increase in the minimum wage.

The government will introduce new, permanently lower retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) multipliers, which will apply to eligible properties with rateable values below £500,000 from next April.
However, there will also be a new high-value multiplier for properties with rateable values of £500,000 or more. Although the government has also announced a business rates support package for sectors hit hardest by revaluations from April 2026.

The National Living Wage will rise by 4.1% to £12.71 from April 2026, and by 8.5% to £10.85 for younger earners, which is likely to affect all pay bands and put further pressure on primary eye care practices, especially where NHS care is already underfunded.

Extending the freeze on income tax and NI thresholds means that, as wages increase with inflation, more employees (or owner-managers drawing a salary) may be pushed into higher tax bands.
 
Healthcare
This week's Budget was relatively light on issues related to health and social care. A day before the Budget, the Chancellor announced a doubling down on the drive to cut elective waiting lists after the Public Accounts Committee reported that targets had been missed "by significant margins".

Rachel Reeves announced 250 new neighbourhood health centres, partly funded by public-private partnerships, and £300 million capital investment in NHS technology, both measures aimed at cutting waiting lists.

Despite recent contention between the health secretary and pharmaceutical companies over the Voluntary Pricing and Access Agreement (VPAA), the Budget did not include any information on potential changes to the NHS medicines spend. The Chancellor froze prescription charges next year.