26 June 2026

FODO member update – 26 June

This week:

OFNC update

The OFNC survey to assess unfunded GOS activity, which closed on Monday, achieved high levels of engagement, with more than 1,000 responses. FODO would like to thank everyone who took part. The committee is now reviewing the results ahead of meetings with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Earlier this month, the DHSC announced it would invest £20 million to roll out ERS for eye care. The OFNC has written to LOCs and GOS contractors, advising them against making any local commitments to ERS until current discussions at government level are complete. Read the full briefing.

GOC approves consultation on its testing of sight statement

On Wednesday, the GOC Council approved a consultation on updating its statement on the testing of sight, along with related changes to the delegation and supervision requirements in its Standards of Practice.

As we said in our last member update, our initial assessment of the GOC’s proposals do not raise any significant concerns, as they maintain the integrity of the sight test and the optometrist’s central role.

In a blog, Steve Brooker, GOC director of regulatory strategy, has now set out how:

The existing GOC statement on the testing of sight needs to be revised as it does not reflect current norms – for example, it does not recognise that practice support teams often conduct pre-screening.
The GOC is clear that the UK sight test, by including vision check/refraction and an eye health assessment, “delivers tremendous public health benefits” and, as a regulator, it is “determined to maintain this”.
The proposed updated statement “reinforces the central role of the optometrist by specifying that clinical responsibility for the patient and all patient care remains the responsibility of the optometrist conducting the sight test”.

This further reassurance by the GOC confirms our initial analysis that the proposals in the consultation will broadly be welcomed by those with a detailed understanding of the UK eye sector and the public health benefits of optometrist-led sight tests. The consultation is due next month and will run for 14 weeks. As FODO members deliver over 80% of all sight tests in the UK, we will engage with all members to ensure our final response reflects the views of primary eye care providers.

Help influence professional practice guidance

The College of Optometrists is consulting on the fifth edition of its Guidance for Professional Practice, which introduces three new sections covering AI and new technologies, the expanding scope of practice, and culture and governance.

Proposed updates also include myopia management and professional titles; a new position prohibiting misleading dyslexia-related advertising claims; updated infection prevention and control; revised glaucoma referral and community pathway guidance; and a new professional duty of candour.

We will respond on our members’ behalf, and would value your feedback, which you can send to [email protected] by 27 July.

The consultation closes on 3 August. Read more.

Scotland payments system update

NHS Scotland has notified GOS contractors that some people are still experiencing issues with the eOphthalmic web form (OWF) payment system, and it is investigating them.

If you are experiencing issues, please email National Services Scotland with the details, your payment location code, and a screenshot of the error screen you see. Send your email to: [email protected].

At a glance

LOCSU is recruiting a regional optometry partner, a permanent role, and is particularly interested in candidates from the North of England. Read more.
A study published in AJO International provides a comprehensive global estimate of eye health professionals, revealing workforce gaps and the need to expand eye care capacity.
Optician reports on ConnectedCare, a new referral and follow-up pathway delivered by Optegra.
Tim Precious, who has spent most of his career at EssilorLuxottica, becomes chief executive of NuVision. Read more.
Glasses designer Inspecs will collaborate with Qualcomm Technologies, which has bought £7.5 million of shares, to develop a smart eyewear category. Read more.
Applications are now open for the latest round of Thomas Pocklington Trust Get Set Progress internships, providing paid opportunities for blind and partially sighted people.
Studio Exception, working with Jaguar Land Rover, seeks people with visual impairment to help understand how vehicles can better support those with sight loss. Read more.
Early bird tickets are available for the University of Huddersfield Annual Optical Conference on 6 September, run by University Valli Opticians.

Health policy news

The Health Bill, which abolishes NHS England, continued its progress through parliament, with several committee sessions on 23 and 25 June, continuing its clause-by-clause examination. More than 140 amendments have already been proposed for the bill.

FODO has been tracking the bill and working with sector partners via the OFNC to ensure primary eye care services remain protected. For example, the OFNC submission to the Public Bill Committee confirms that our sector has received written reassurances from the Department of Health and the minister of state for care in parliament that the GOS will continue to operate as it does now as a national contract.

The House of Lords held a debate this week on Healthcare Services: Acute, Primary and Community, in which it discussed the crisis in community pharmacy and its impact on healthcare.

Regarding variation in access to enhanced eye care services, Baroness Walmsley asked: “In eye care, we have the workforce and infrastructure in the community, yet access depends on where you live, which pushes avoidable demand into hospitals. One in four people cannot access a local optometrist and there are 600,000 people on hospital waiting lists, many of whom could have been managed in the community. What steps are the government taking to ensure equitable access to optometrists across England?”

Baroness Pidgeon also commented on the variation in access to community eye services in England. “This just makes no sense, and it is patients who suffer,” she said.

Report looks at role of clinical service companies

Eye care features in a new report, Clinical Services: Ones to Watch 2026, produced by Grant Thornton UK. It reviews the strategic opportunities for private providers, both inside and outside the NHS, recognising their vital role in supporting patients in their homes and local areas, ensuring accessible and continuous care outside traditional hospital settings.

The report focuses on providers who operate across the private sector, NHS, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and local authorities, covering diagnostics, community and mental health, and NHS insourcing and outsourcing.

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