06 February 2026

FODO member update – 6 February

This week:

• Reminder - claims notifications for insured members
• Sexual Safety Charter - self-assurance checklist for primary care providers
• The vital role of primary eye care
• GOC seeks views on sales targets and incentives
• Hundreds of students to start CLiP in 2026
• Study offers hope for rare eye disease
• At a glance
• Health policy news

Reminder - claims notifications for insured members

It is important that members with FODO medical malpractice insurance always report any records request or any potential claim without delay. If in doubt always check by emailing [email protected] or calling 020 7298 5151. Please do also share this reminder with your teams. 

Sexual Safety Charter - self-assurance checklist for primary care providers

Members in England do not have to complete ICB and/or NHS Regional Team requests to sign up to the NHS Sexual Safety Charter or the associated checklist. The reason is that members will already be taking this seriously and will have systems in place to prevent sexual harassment at work. However, if you wish to learn more or sign up to the Charter, you are free to do so. For more details, read the full OFNC briefing.
 
For more support and information members can also  refer to our October 2024 update, which includes resources for members to meet the duty for all employers to prevent sexual harassment at work. 

The vital role of primary eye care

In an exclusive for Clarity, Kate Gannon, Orbis's head of programme funding, highlights the universal importance of strong primary eye care systems. She describes primary eye care's vital position as the foundation of ophthalmic management, particularly in areas where specialist treatment is harder to reach.
 
She talks about the charity's projects, where strong community-based support and training are raising awareness, building relationships, increasing trust and detecting eye conditions as early as possible. 

GOC seeks views on sales targets and incentives

The GOC has launched a survey for registrants to share their perspectives on targets and financial incentives. This survey is the latest round in the GOC's thematic review into commercial practices and patient safety. You can find it here. 

Hundreds of students to start CLiP in 2026

The College of Optometrists reports that 500 students will start their Clinical Learning in Practice (CLiP) placements this year, as it continues to roll out the new practical training model. Read more in Clarity. 

Study offers hope for rare eye disease

Researchers at the University of Birmingham are launching the second stage of a trial to determine whether disulfiram, used to treat alcohol dependency, can help treat ocular mucous membrane pemphigoid (OcMMP), which causes painful blistering and scarring in the eyes.
 
The successful first stage of the trial found that the medication could reduce levels of the enzyme ALDH, which researchers believe plays a significant role in the scarring process. Read more in Clarity. 

At a glance

• ABDO publishes its annual plan for 2026, the DO profession's centenary year. Read more
• Big Issue, partnering with Vision Care and Specsavers, shares news about a campaign to change policy so that people experiencing homelessness can access free eye care.
• The Welsh government has released the latest monthly data on ophthalmology outpatient waiting times. Read more
• National Services Scotland asks practitioners to share their experiences of its services through its annual satisfaction survey
• Researchers at Moorfields, UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital have made a discovery about the development of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Read more
• An article in the journal Eye Open reveals the results of a Macular Society survey examining whether people with macular disease are willing to have retinal scan assessments that use AI.
• The restaurateur Prue Leith will attend the 100% Optical conference in London to talk about her new range of glasses frames named after cakes. Read more.

Health policy news

Parliamentary event looks at workplace accessibility

Marsha de Cordova, MP for Battersea and chair of the APPG for Eye Health and Visual Impairment, hosted a parliamentary reception to review progress on the findings of its report, Changing Attitudes, Changing Lives, which investigated employer attitudes to blind and partially sighted people.

MPs, clinicians and academics gathered to hear first-hand accounts of the challenges of applying for jobs and keeping them, including from Jamie Ward, Channel 4's head of talent and learning, whose sight deteriorated rapidly. He explained that employers who make adjustments for visually impaired colleagues can benefit from the experience as much as the employees.

Read sector guidance on the Accessible Information Standard.

PAC report reveals cost of clinical negligence

The Public Health Committee has published a report on clinical negligence, which paints a picture of a system overwhelmed by safety recommendations that it cannot act on.

The government's liability for clinical negligence has quadrupled over 20 years (it was £60 billion in 2024-25) and is likely to rise significantly by the end of the decade.

The PAC is seeking:

• An operation plan from the government to tackle clinical negligence
• A framework for implementing patient safety with clear annual improvement targets
• A national system for sharing data between NHS trusts.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the PAC's chair, said: "Government must move at pace towards a less adversarial system, reducing costs and ensuring that claims are paid more quickly for the benefit of families involved."