Buckinghamshire Local Optical Committee

Buckinghamshire Local Optical Committee

Representing all GOS contractors and performers in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes

CHAIR SECRETARY

Bucks LOC AGM 19th April 2016

Report from the Chair

Finance

We have continued to keep the number of planned LOC committee and sub-committee meetings we hold at the reduced level that we had achieved four years ago. The number of external meetings we attend will hopefully increase when we can resume dialogue with key NHS decision-makers and commissioners.

When we meet with the NHS England Area Teams, we generally do this along with our opposite numbers in the same Area Team patch, as well as maintaining a dialogue with those LOCs.

Post Payment Verification (PPV)

We have continued to field numerous phone calls and emails from practice owners and practitioners relating to items being claimed back following PPV visits. Some of these relate to sight test intervals which do fall within the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

We already have agreement from both area teams that they will not reclaim sight test fees for over 70s or glaucoma relatives being seen annually for no apparent clinical reason. They are, however, reclaiming fees for diabetics being seen annually if they are already on the NHS Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Scheme (DRSS). To confuse things more, the latest guidance from The College of Optometrists states: “If patients are under an NHS diabetic eye screening programme, recall should be the same as for patients who do not have diabetes.”

GP Commissioning

We are striving to resume work with the CCGs to drive optometry forward. This has been very difficult in the last year with relevant CCG/CSU people being on long-term sick and others refusing to acknowledge us.

We have the great benefit of LOCSU’s pathways and training for:

Glaucoma/OHT

MECs (Minor Eye Conditions Service)

Pre and Post-op Cataract

Children

Low Vision

People with Learning Disabilities

and LOCSU’s expertise on many matters.

There is a big push nationally for MECs. When we last asked for responses to a survey about which of these schemes would be most popular with practitioners and practices, in order of popularity these were: cataract post-op; glaucoma & OHT; children; MECs/PEARS; low vision; learning disabilities. We will survey everyone for whom we have an email address again in due course, so that we maintain a good idea of what practitioners and practices are interested in.

Glaucoma/OHT

The Goldmann IOP referral refinement scheme in Buckinghamshire has remained static with more than half the practices accredited, though activity has been lower than expected.Payments to practice issues seem to have been resolved. We are having some dialogue with the CCGs and the scheme is still running for the 10 practices that have been active. Part of the help getting a dialogue up and running with the CCGs is input from the Bucks hospitals via Miss Anna Mead (Ophthalmologist) who is now part of our Mid & South Bucks sub-committee.

Additionally, I attended an MP practice visit in Chesham in January. This was with Cheryl Gillan, who happens to know the Chiltern CCG’s Chief Clinical Officer (Dr AnnetGamell) very well. I am hopeful that some pressure from Cheryl will further improve our dialogue with the CCG.

In Milton Keynes we are not currently involved in IOP referral refinement, though we are still keeping the effort up on this. There is a new Glaucoma consultant at Milton Keynes and he is keen to involve community optoms. However, as in Buckinghamshire, we have had real issues maintaining a dialogue with the CCG.

I will be attending a further MP practice visit with David Lidington in Aylesbury, in June.

Direct cataract

Payment issues in Buckinghamshire have been resolved. This has not been an issue in MK.

NHSmail

In Buckinghamshire, NHS England has offered an NHSmail account to each practice, but requires completion of the NHS IG (Information Governance) Toolkit by each practice and to comply with level 2 standards as a minimum. They are not prepared to fund this time-consuming exercise. The Optical Confederation remains in dialogue with NHS England on the matter of funding and any optometrist or contractor wishing to sign up to NHSmail at present should be aware that in doing so they are accepting the burden of completing the NHS IGT unfunded.

I am on the executive committee of the Thames Valley Local Eye Health Network. This has taken over from the Bucks Eye Care Forum.One of our workstreams is looking at NHSmail and the NHS IG Tooklit. We should get some funding to explore exactly what is involved with the IG Toolkit and we have one practice on board to work with us in this. From this work, our plan is to put a business case to NHS England relating to funding or re-interpreting the regulations regarding the IGT.

Referrals

Please remember not to use rubber stamps for practice and practitioner details on referral letters – these tend to disappear once scanned or copied and then it is difficult for the clinic to send you a report. Please make sure the name of the referring optom and practice details are either written clearly in black capitals or are computer printed in black in a decent font size.

Bruce Gilson

April 2016