FODO member update – 13 November
This week:
- Microsoft outage update and referral guidance
- How to prepare for new subscription contract rules
- OFNC publishes latest on fees negotiations
- SPOKE updates guidance on supervision
- Trade unions granted new rights to access workplaces
- Research supports more ergonomic design for children’s frames
- At a glance
- Health policy news
Microsoft outage update and referral guidance
- Microsoft has a global system issue affecting Outlook. This means if you emailed us yesterday (12 November) evening or today, we have not yet received it and not all of our emails to you will be delivered until the issue is resolved. If you need support in the meantime, please log in and use the new CRM support ticket system or call us on 020 7298 5151.
- The outage is also affecting how practices send referrals, so we have published joint optical sector guidance on managing referrals during the outage. It sets out a risk-based approach for emergency, urgent and routine referrals, and how to keep track of any that are delayed. Read the full guidance.
How to prepare for new subscription contract rules
FODO, ABDO and the AOP have published a joint statement on government changes to subscription contract rules and how they affect optical businesses.
From 1 January 2027, to make subscription terms easier for consumers to understand, businesses must provide clearer information before sign-up, send reminders at key points and make subscriptions easy to cancel.
We previously argued for the government to include the supply of optical appliances under the exemption for medical prescriptions and products. However, it is now clear that optical businesses supplying goods and services to consumers under subscription must meet the rules. Subscription contracts cover the regular supply of contact lenses and solutions, eye care services, or a combination of goods and services.
Read the full statement.
OFNC publishes latest on fees negotiations
The OFNC has published an update on negotiations with government officials about GOS and electronic referral service (eRS) funding.
On 14 October, the OFNC met James Frith, the minister responsible for eye care, and plans to meet him again at the end of the month or in early December.
The previous minister, Stephen Kinnock, established a Task and Finish Group to examine concerns raised by OFNC about pressures on GOS, unfunded work, and the costs of implementing the eRS.
The group has met several times and drew heavily on the information provided by contractors’ responses to the OFNC’s survey about these issues. Its report, which it will send to ministers, is nearly finished. Meanwhile, NHS England’s central team has paused regional visits to promote eRS until national work is complete.
Read the full update.
SPOKE updates guidance on supervision
The first project delivered under the new SPOKE Knowledge Hub contract (2025-28) is complete. It provides updated guidance and practical resources to support supervision and help providers meet the GOC’s education and training requirements.
The outputs include:
- Updated supervision guidance covering all routes to registration, including optometry, dispensing optics, contact lens optician (CLO) qualifications and independent prescribing (IP) qualifications.
- A new benchmark statement on staff-to-student ratios (SSR), developed and agreed by sector representatives.
- Revised SPOKE web pages containing enhanced information and practical guidance for supervisors across the profession, including frequently asked questions and advice for educational and workplace settings.
Read more in Clarity.
Trade unions granted new rights to access workplaces
New statutory rights allowing trade unions to access certain workplaces came into force at the end of October, following parliamentary approval of the regulations and accompanying code of practice.
The framework applies in England, Scotland and Wales. It enables qualifying unions, including those not already recognised by an employee, to request physical and digital access to workers in larger companies (with 21 or more workers).
FODO members can watch a short webinar about the changes here.
If you would like to discuss this further with FODO please email [email protected].
Research supports more ergonomic design for children’s frames
New research indicates that the distinct shape and growth of children’s faces, known as ‘facial anthropometry’, could be incorporated into the design of spectacle frames.
Researchers at Aston University, supported by ABDO, analysed 3D facial images from 480 typically developing white British children aged 4 months to 16 years, examining 15 measurements relevant to spectacle frame design.
Published in the journal Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, the study says many current paediatric frames use the relatively high, narrow bridge associated with adult frames. These may not make adequate contact with a younger child’s nose.
At a glance
- The College of Optometrists has welcomed the first cohort of new registrants who have completed the CLiP programme in diploma ceremonies in Westminster. Read more.
- LOCSU’s 2026 Regional Optical Conferences have begun in the north of England, with discussions covering workforce development and commissioning.
- ABDO reports that enrolment on its contact lens diploma is returning to pre-pandemic levels, helped by more training places and employer support.
- The BCLA has launched a three-year membership initiative for Specsavers contact lens opticians, to support their CPD. Read more.
- Sight loss charity Orbis International has announced plans to invest $32 million (£24 million) in global eye health programmes between 2027 and 2030. Read more.
- A 101-year-old World War II veteran who lost her sight to glaucoma joined more than 40 blind veterans at the Cenotaph for her first Remembrance Sunday parade, the BBC reported.
Health policy news
RCO says extra training places insufficient to tackle shortfall
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists is disappointed that NHS England has created only six additional training places for ophthalmology, far short of the 35 it recommended.
The college says increasing training places must be part of a broader effort to build a sustainable ophthalmology workforce, alongside retention and greater use of the multidisciplinary eye care team.
Ophthalmology is one of the largest and most strained clinical specialities in the NHS, with more than 600,000 people waiting for care.
Read the full statement.
Extra £40 million to tackle winter pressures on NHS
The government has pledged an extra £40 million for GPs to help keep vulnerable patients out of hospital this winter by reducing the chances they reach a crisis point.
The money will be used to provide more health checks, home assessments and medication reviews for people with conditions such as heart disease, frailty, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services at NHS England, said: “By offering more support to our most vulnerable patients, such as home assessments to prevent falls, we will help keep them well and prevent them ending up in hospital this winter.”
NICE falls guidance identifies visual impairment as a risk factor for falls, strengthening the case for embedding community eye care and good vision within preventative care for people living with frailty.