31 July 2026

FODO member update – 31 July

This week:

Low-dose atropine eye drops for treating myopia

NICE has analysed the clinical and economic evidence for using low-dose atropine eye drops for treating myopia and concluded it should not be funded by the NHS.

The committee reviewing the intervention noted that given the scale of myopia and the potential impact on NHS resources, it “needed to be more certain about the evidence to avoid decision error”.

FODO’s policy team advises members that this NICE evaluation is specifically about low-dose atropine, and NICE did not consider myopia-control glasses and contact lenses. NICE guidance also assessed the cost-effectiveness of interventions for the NHS, not for self-funded care. The key thing to note in all cases is the clinical effectiveness of the intervention which is applicable to both NHS and self-funding patients.

NICE is consulting on the draft guidance until 19 August. Read more.

Glaucoma UK seeks your help

Glaucoma UK is conducting a national survey to gather the care experiences of people living with glaucoma. The charity hopes to collect responses from 10,000 patients and has asked for our members’ help in reaching as many patients as possible. Joanne Creighton, Glaucoma UK’s chief executive, said: “We have a genuine opportunity to place the experiences of patients right at the heart of the changes currently happening in glaucoma care. One email, one text message, one social media post or one mention in a patient communication could help us reach people whose experiences deserve to be heard.”

The National Patient Voices Survey is open for responses until 6 September 2026.

To help spread the word, Glaucoma UK has published promotional materials you can download from its website.

Optical sector writes to GOC with shared aims for fee setting

FODO, ABDO and AOP have written to the GOC outlining three shared priorities in response to the discussion paper on its approach to setting registrant fees.

The organisations encouraged the GOC to be transparent about the process for developing future fee proposals. They called for any decisions to reflect variations in the costs of regulating different registrant groups and in their ability to pay, and they opposed higher registration fees for registrants with additional or specialist qualifications. Read more in Clarity.

FODO has also submitted an individual response to the consultation, which you can access on our website’s Policy Submissions page.

Scottish directions for the Community Glaucoma Service

The Scottish Government has published new directions for The Optometry Enhanced Services (Community Glaucoma Services), which revoke the previous directions and take effect on 1 August.

The new directions outline the requirement for Scottish health boards to establish and operate a CGS to facilitate the discharge of certain patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension to an accredited community provider. Read the details.

Girl in UK first to receive new treatment

An 11-year-old girl from London has become the first NHS patient to receive a new treatment for progressive vision impairment caused by Bardet Biedl Syndrome (BBS).

Catherine L’Estrange received the MeiraGTx gene therapy at St Helier Hospital in Sutton. She hoped that the treatment would allow her to keep reading books. Read more.

Proposed changes to the GOC ‘Statement on testing of sight’

A reminder that the GOC is consulting on proposed updates to its ‘Statement on testing of sight’ and related changes to the supervision and delegation requirements in its Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians and Standards for Optical Students.

The GOC proposals do not raise significant concerns for members, as they preserve the integrity of the sight test and the optometrist’s central role. However, the consultation offers an opportunity to identify areas requiring further clarification.

Members are asked to complete this form by 28 August.

MHRA clarifies regulatory status of ambient voice technologies used in the NHS

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published guidance confirming regulatory arrangements for ambient voice technology (AVT) products used in health and care settings in Great Britain. Such products:

are not regulated as medical devices if they are intended solely for transcription, summarising of clinical conversations, drafting letters, or suggesting clinical codes for a clinician to review
are regulated as medical devices if they are intended to support diagnosis, treatment or prevention, or take automated action such as placing orders without clinician review.

FODO member news will be back in a fortnight

There will be no newsletter next week, but we will keep members informed of any urgent news. We will publish the next newsletter on Friday 14 August.

At a glance

There are still places for members on the WorkNest webinar ‘Employment tribunals: causes, costs and claim prevention’ on 20 August. Register here.
An AOP analysis suggests that four in five eye-related complaints presented to A&E could be managed by community optometrists. Read more in Clarity.
Optometry Wales is seeking a permanent, full-time regional engagement officer to work with the regional optical committees (ROCs) in Wales. Learn more.
The next deadline for ABDO’s management and leadership training course is 8 August, with study commencing on 2 September.
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists has named its 2026 honorary fellows, individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the profession. Read more.
Last chance to provide feedback on The College of Optometrists’ public consultation on updates to its Guidance for Professional Practice, which closes on 3 August.
The new Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital, which replaces the Sunderland Eye Infirmary, has officially opened at the Riverside Sunderland regeneration site, according to the BBC.
A new study indicates that early surgery may be more beneficial for patients with acute endophthalmitis than the recommended ‘antibiotic-first’ approach. Read more in Clarity.
The rebranded charity Visably (formerly British Wireless for the Blind Fund) has published a report showing that technology improves the lives of most people with sight loss. Read more.

Health policy news

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said this week that he would overhaul England’s social care system, and that he intended to hold cross-party talks with the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. He did not give details about how reforms would be funded or whether he would put up taxes, saying only that he was committed to the fiscal rules in Labour’s manifesto.

Speaking from a care home, he said he had also asked Baroness Louise Casey, who is conducting a review of social care, to bring forward her report by a year to 2027, the BBC reported. Mr Burnham described a “big conversation”, a public engagement exercise to explore ideas for a National Care Service and how to pay for it.

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