16 January 2026

FODO member update - 16 January

This week:

• Working together in 2026
• College seeking retinal scans
• New treatment offers hope for chronic hypotony
• Eye surgeon takes his own advice
• NHS Scotland supplementary service update
• At a glance
• Health policy news

Working together in 2026

FODO will continue to work with its OFNC partners and the College of Optometrists to deliver on shared goals, including developing national commissioning frameworks for enhanced eye care services, raising awareness about the importance of the sight testing service and promoting members' interests in the shift from analogue to digital.
 
It joined representatives from the eye care profession in an interview with Optician magazine, in which they outlined plans for 2026, covering a range of topics from GOC regulations to enhancing AI literacy.
 
Harjit Sandhu, chief executive, said: "In England, it was a pan-sector effort that led to primary eye care being recognised in the 10 Year NHS Plan. This year, we will build on that by continuing to work in strategic ways to deliver change collaboratively." 

College seeking retinal scans

The College of Optometrists is inviting optometrists to take part in a research project to build a retinal imaging database in partnership with the Foresight project.

The aim is to collect a million eye scans to enhance the various health services optometry practices can offer, analyse disease progression and help develop AI tools to assist in the early detection of systemic diseases. Read more.

New treatment offers hope for chronic hypotony

Regular injections of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, a commonly used gel in eye surgery, have shown lasting improvements in the sight of people with chronic hypotony.
 
Seven out of eight patients who received the gel injections as part of a Moorfields pilot improved vision after a 12-month course. The treatment is an alternative to silicone gel, whose effects can be temporary and lead to long-term toxicity. Read more in Clarity.

Eye surgeon takes his own advice

An experienced ophthalmologist who required emergency surgery for a detached retina tells the BBC how his experience brought home to him the potential dangers of not seeking immediate help for mild eye symptoms that could indicate serious illness.

NHS Scotland supplementary service update

Following our 28 November update, the Scottish Government has confirmed that the full implementation of the GOS Specialist Supplementary Service will come into effect on Monday (19 January) as planned.
 
The GOS-SS supports IP optometrists and OMPs, via enhanced fees, to manage patients with specific acute anterior eye conditions. You can access both Stream A and Stream B applications on this webpage. If you plan to offer this service, please read the complete PCA.
 
In addition, details of optometry practice premises at or from which GOS is provided are now publicly available on the 'Opticians' section of the NHS Inform website.  

At a glance

• Optometrists continue to support Dry Eye January, an initiative that aims to raise awareness and help people recognise the signs of dry eye disease. Read more.
• RNIB responds to the government's announcement that it will give local councils more power to regulate pavement parking, stopping short of a full ban.
• Scientists in California are beginning a clinical trial to test whether stem cells can restore vision after macular degeneration. Read more.
• Optometrist launches online forum called The Eye Care Advocate, billed as a place for "trustworthy content for professionals, students and the public".
• New research from Japan shows that widely used petroleum-based eye ointments can cause glaucoma implants to swell and potentially rupture.
• The eye care charity Orbis International has appointed a new chief executive. Read more in Clarity
• Fight for Sight outlines how researchers are harnessing data to advance the understanding of eye diseases and their treatments. Read more.

Health policy news

Waiting time data

The latest NHS England figures on referral-to-treatment waiting times showed a drop of about 86,000 in November to 7.31 million, a year after the publication of the Elective Reform Plan. However, November's improvement fell short of the 133,000 required, according to projections for a recovery of the 18-week target by 2029, the Health Service Journal reported. The longest-waiting specialties, which include ENT, saw the most significant reductions in waiting times.

Responding to the latest performance figures, David Hare, chief executive of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN), welcomed the improvement but added: "Given the ambitious target that the government has set in once again meeting the 18-week target by the end of this parliament, this NHS/independent sector partnership working must continue so that independent providers can play their full part in clearing the NHS backlog."

Budget matters

Optometry Scotland has welcomed the "clear commitment to GOS and enhanced eye care" in the Scottish Budget, which confirmed a funding increase of £2.41 million (1.8%) for community eyecare this week.

In an analysis of the budget's implications for the optical profession, the organisation also cautioned that any increase in activity must be fully funded and sustainable. Read more in Clarity.