FODO member update – 14 August
This week:
- OFNC updates contractors on funding talks
- Study supports treating more patients outside hospital
- Sector bodies repeat calls to end postcode lottery in England
- Spotting sensory loss in dementia patients
- NHS Scotland notices
- Reminder: consultation on the GOC statement on testing of sight
- Webinar on regulatory and claims risk
- Study shows lack of awareness of ‘myopia’
- At a glance
- Health policy news
OFNC updates contractors on funding talks
The OFNC has sent contractors an update on GOS funding negotiations, the CPD claim window and e-RS implementation plans.
It said the strong response to its survey on unfunded GOS work “demonstrates the level of pressure across the system and the strength of contractors’ concerns about the additional unfunded work they undertake for the benefit of the NHS”.
The survey responses have been sent to the Department of Health and Social Care. The OFNC continues its engagement with the responsible minister and officials on GOS fees, e-RS funding and the next stage of national work.
Read the full update. Please note, the portfolio for eye care has been assigned to a new minister since the letter’s publication (see health policy section below).
Study supports treating more patients outside hospital
An in-depth analysis of the CUES service in Greater Manchester shows that more than three-quarters of cases were successfully assessed, treated and managed without the need for a hospital eye service referral.
The study used Primary Eyecare Services data from nearly 55,000 patients. Its authors said the findings represented an “opportunity at a national level to utilise primary care optometry resources better through universal access to CUES and maximising the scope of practice available”.
They also called for the removal of barriers to independent prescribing qualifications, based on results from a subset showing even fewer hospital referrals among cases managed by IP optometrists. Read more in Clarity.
Sector bodies repeat calls to end postcode lottery in England
The OFNC (including ABDO, AOP and FODO) and The College of Optometrists published a statement in September, in which the sector committed to working with the NHS to “develop national commissioning frameworks for all enhanced eye care services – to shift care out of hospital and help end the postcode lottery and inequalities patients currently suffer”.
All sector bodies have since continued to make the case for rebalancing NHS expenditure and for correcting the underinvestment in NHS primary eye care services.
Last week, LOCSU said it fully supported the need to end the postcode lottery and for pan-sector working to achieve this. The latest LOCSU statement was in response to the AOP Eyecare Everywhere campaign, “targeting a fully resourced eye care service delivered within local communities”.
Spotting sensory loss in dementia patients
Clarity has published part two of a three-part series on the importance of embedding sensory checks in the management of patients with dementia. The author talks to an eye-care specialist about how easily signs of sensory loss in a patient with dementia can be missed.
Kamran Saha, a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital, explains that the best outcomes for patients with dementia include regular eye and hearing tests. He offers his expert advice for clinicians and carers.
Read more in Clarity.
NHS Scotland has issued a Medicine Supply Alert Notice about the availability of preservative-free diclofenac eye drops. Read more.
Reminder: consultation on the GOC statement on testing of sight
Thank you to members who have completed our survey on the GOC’s proposed updates to its ‘Statement on testing of sight’ and to related changes to the supervision and delegation requirements in its Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians and Standards for Optical Students.
This is the final call for responses. We invite members to complete this confidential form by 28 August. We will use your feedback to inform our response to the consultation.
Webinar on regulatory and claims risk
Members are invited to a webinar led by Clyde & Co’s legal healthcare experts. It will explore events shaping the eye care sector and offer practical ways to help companies navigate regulatory risk with confidence:
- 24 September – ‘Exploring current issues shaping the sector’. Register here.
Members may also be interested in the following webinars:
- 2 September – ‘Preparing for October’s employment law reforms’. Register here.
- 10 September – ‘SCI Gateway referral form updates: community optometry information session’ (Scotland only). Register here.
Study shows lack of awareness of ‘myopia’
A Boots study shows that many parents do not understand the term myopia or its significance for children. It adds that parents are more likely to take their children for preventative dental check-ups than for eye tests, with many visiting an optician only when they suspect a problem. Read more in Clarity.
- An upcoming ‘GIRFT provider webinar: Best practice for glaucoma services’, will take place on 24 August at 1pm. Register.
- We invite members to complete a short survey about their views on using AI in eye care, as part of a Leicester University research project comparing attitudes in the UK and Malaysia.
- Mike Nesbitt, Northern Ireland’s health minister, visited a Lisburn optometrist to see how providers support care closer to home, Optician magazine reports.
- Specsavers ‘Charity VIP’ scheme expands to offer walk-in eye and hearing tests for people experiencing homelessness. Read more in Clarity.
- Early bird registration is now open for the BCLA’s 2027 two-day clinical conference in Birmingham, marking 50 years of the association. Read more.
- Optegra has appointed Ghada Beal as its new UK managing director, under its new owner EssilorLuxottica, reports Health Investor.
- Scientists have discovered that cancer cells may respond to a group of drugs called ROCK inhibitors, which are currently used to treat glaucoma. Read more.
- Following Wednesday’s solar eclipse, fewer people sought treatment for eye damage than after the 1999 eclipse, according to the BBC.
Government changes
James Frith MP has been named as the parliamentary under-secretary of state for innovation at the Department of Health and Social Care.
His portfolio includes eye care and dentistry, among other areas.
Stephen Kinnock MP previously held the brief as minister for care. He becomes secretary of state for Wales.
The DHSC also announced that patient safety and public health have been elevated to a ministerial responsibility, to be covered by minister of state Dame Diana Johnson, according to a list of responsibilities published today.
IHPN reveals hidden role of private providers in NHS landscape
The Independent Healthcare Providers Network’s response to NHS England’s latest diagnostic imaging dataset is that the contribution of private providers is greater than the official data suggests.
It said: “Our analysis has found that in the last financial year (2025/26), independent sector diagnostic providers delivered around 4 million NHS scans, over 2.3 million more than reported.” The reason for the lower official figure is that some providers’ activity is subcontracted to NHS organisations. “This means that their activity is reported as delivered by their host, even if the workforce, equipment and infrastructure are from independent providers.” Read more.
NHS staff ‘spending a day a week on admin’
A YouGov study has found that 28% of NHS staff spend more than 10 hours a week on administrative work, due to duplication in IT systems and inefficient processes across the health service, the National Health Executive reports.
More than a third (34%) of staff said administrative burdens reduced the time available to spend with patients or service users. Three in ten (30%) reported regularly staying late or working beyond contracted hours, while a quarter (25%) said administrative problems delayed clinical decision-making.