Secretaries Report
Meeting date Monday 28th November2016
Prepared Friday 18thNovember 2016
4Matters arising from the minutes
I have put the Dudley Low Vision Strategy on the website
I have emailed practices to find out who are miraflex stockists and those who are happy to refract older children with special needs, and put the results on the website as well as encouraging practises to register with SeeAbility
I alerted practices when Hearlands finally send out invites to join the screening scheme. Indicative costs were indicated by Heartlands
5 Correspondence
Hotbriefs have been circulated
6 NHS Updates
NHS England has moved forward with looking at further practices in the Birmingham area, including uplifting records. NHS England are attempting to take a sample of records “just in case” they later need to do an audit if the practice doesn’t agree to the reclaim they suggest, or refuses to negotiate and insists on an audit. NHS England have a right to examine records as per the GOS contract,but NHS England probably don’t have a right to remove records. The AOP feel that it can be better for a practice to remove records for 24hours and make copies rather than having an NHS person taking up practice space for days looking at records. NHS England are proposing removing the records for 5 days. Also there is some concern about data protection and how secure the records and copies of records are going to be kept by NHS England. The national bodies are involved.
I have not had any further practices in the Dudley area contact me.
We should discuss any ideas for ways forward.
Sonia has found the following:
“Today I needed to get authorisation for toclaim extra for a frame for a Learning difficulty (or special needs) girl aged 11. I am pleased to say during this telephone call to PCSE I have established all opticians nationwide can make claims for frames (like Erins world made for Down's syndrome & miraflex etc) on the GOS 3. Frames made with special adaptions can be claimed for, not just frames we have physically adapted ourselves.The confirmation came from Sonya Javaid at pcsewho checked with Kirsty at submissions (she didn't know a surname).
We just need to tick small glasses supplement box (as that is the only box on our GOS 3's presently). Write on the voucher the reason for the dispense of this item. Although in 'making accurate claims' it states we can claim high plus lenses worked to a minimum substancewe can also use this towards minus lenses where necessary ie we might need lighter safer lenses in minus Rx.
If any optician would like to make an enquirywith regards to a claim they can phone 03330142884 option 6 (I did this & it took an age to get someone to answer). Alternatively I am told the best solution is to & in the subject box type 'for the attention of GOS team'.
I think this is very good news & needs to be broadcast to practices up & down the country. On a recent ABDO training day I attended, there was a seminar on testing the Down's syndrome Px. This encouraged conversation with regard to dispensing the Down's child. On the table I was on, not one of the other 8 delegates stocked frames for special needs or Down's due to perceived cost implications for parents! Perhaps now this will encourage more practices to stock these frames giving patients more choice.“
I have asked the AOP for advice/confirmation at a national level but haven’t yet had a reply
9 Secretary’s business
Social Media: This needs to be discussed in the meeting
NOC: I have distributed my report
12Authorisation to act and email conversations
I ask the committee for continued permission for officers to be authorised to deal with, and make decisions on matters that arise that need urgent attention. When this occurs, wherever possible a discussion by email with the Committee will take place before a decision is made.
It is still the aim of officers to bring all matters that require decisions to the next committee meeting, and decisions will only be made outside meetings where waiting is not a realistic option.
13Authorisation to act on ROC
I ask the committee to agree to Charles Barlow and Paul Sidhu continuing to represent the LOC at HWMROC, with permission for them to use their judgement when deciding if individual decisions made there amount to minor decisions or major decisions. For decisions they consider minor they are authorised to act on the LOCs behalf. For all decisions they consider major they must seek to have those ratified by the LOC, and they must make this clear to the ROC.