Minutes for the Dudley LOC Committee AGM Meeting held at 7.45p.m. on Monday 19th May 2014
Village Hotel, CastlegatePark, Birmingham Road, Dudley, DY1 4TB
In Attendance
Shamina Asif (Chair), PaulSidhu (Sec), David Wright (Treasurer), Bal Thandi, Peter Bainbridge, Kay Reeves, Charles Barlow (Vice Chair), Rosie Birhah, Shirley Hancock, Rahila Ahmed, Sonia Tyrrell, Jiva Bangay, Madhuri Bhuchar
Also in attendance
Mark Tuffin (Returning Officer)
- Chair’s Welcome
As there were no objections Paul Sidhu chaired the meeting.
2.Apologies
Sally Bangay, Lois Cooper, Beverley Hill, Julian Hill
3. NHS Update from David Brown
David Brown wished to encourage all practitioners and practices to join the NHS Network. At present out of the 580 contracts held, only 200 have signed up and his aim is to chase the remainder. Due to the financial situation practices will no longer be receiving letters with updates and information as this will all be on the NHS Networks sub-network Optometry. The most recent update sent out is ‘Making Accurate Claims’. Instructions to sign up to the Network were on a flyer left at the AGM along with an email address for further questions.
- Minutes of previous AGM
These were proposed as an accurate record by CB, seconded by RB.
5. Matters Arising from previous AGM minutes
There were no matters arising.
6. Chair’sReport
“2013-2014 has been an interesting year so far in terms of liaising with CCG’s and building a firmer relationship with them. We have been able to establish contacts with our local CCG and put our proposal forward on how enhanced schemes can be rolled out in Optometric practices reducing pressure on secondary care. At this moment in time we are in discussion on how this can be taken forward, hence I am expecting an eventful 2014-2015. We have also been successful in rolling over the direct cataract referral scheme until the new contract has been established.
For the first time, we have established contact with public health who are working with us in devising a ‘Healthy Living Optician’ scheme. This is in line with the Pharmacy’s in Dudley where other services will be offered by Optician practices such as smoking cessation services, cardiovascular assessment (health checks), weight management and alcohol screening. After the positive feedback from committee members this scheme should be rolled out in the next few months. I am hoping there will be many practices that will partake in the scheme. This opportunity will promote Optometry as a profession allied to healthcare, as I genuinely believe that this is the way forward for the future of Optometry.
As before our CET event joint with Sandwell was a huge success and as I write this report the number of people who have signed up for our event this year is 91. These figures are fantastic and I am happy to see that Dudley LOC are serving the needs of Optometric professionals very well in our area.
I would like to thank the LOC’s committee members for their contribution to ideas and discussions which is becoming ever so important. My special thanks to Rosie and Wasim for all their work organising CET, and I couldn’t forget Charles, who is driving the regional development of optometry with such determination, gusto and gravitas.
On that note I would like to say if anyone is interested in joining the committee please do so as, more than ever, we need members to help us move optometry forward in Dudley. We are a friendly bunch so come and talk to us, or email if you prefer.
Shamina Asif
Chair Dudley LOC”
7.Treasurer’s Report
“Income this year from the Statutory Levy was up by £ 1604.29 this financial year. We also received £1434.06 from sponsorship of CET events.
Expenditure was down by £9,692.24 on the previous financial year due mainly to savings made on
1. Costs for CET lectures and fees
2. A reduction in the amount we pay into LOCSU (now 0.4% )
3. A reduction in the number of NHS meetings attended due to the changes in the structure of the NHS.
Overall an operating excess of £ 6,834.89 was generated this year.
Our balance in the bank at 31/03/2014 was £ 34,397.40.
At the last committee meeting it was agreed to reduce our balance in the bank toapprox. £ 25,000.00 over the next financial year.
To achieve this I feel we should reduce the Statutory Levy from 1.50% to 1.25% with the option to raise it by 0.25% during the next financial year if the committee feels it necessary.
Payments to LOCSU remain at 0.4% and are included in the Statutory Levy.
Overall we are still in a healthy financial position and our Levy is low in comparison to other areas.
I will be attending the AGM in May and will be happy to answer any questions regarding the enclosed accounts.
David Wright”
8. Adoption of Reports
All reports adopted.
9 . Business Plan
PS has completed a 2014/15 Business Plan and it will be put on the website.
10.Appointment of Returning Officer and Scrutinisers
MT was appointed as the Returning Officer.
11.Election of Officers
MT reported that, apart from the current officers, no other applications were received for the positions of Officers. The AGM agreed therefore that no election was necessary and the offers should remain as:
Chair: Shamina Asif
Secretary: Paul Sidhu
Vice Chair: Charles Barlow
Treasurer: David Wright
12.Elected Chair’s Address
SA reported that it has been a very busy and interesting year and hopes that in the forthcoming year Enhanced Services can be commissioned along with a pilot for Smoking Cessation.
13.Adoption of the Statutory Levy for the forthcoming Financial Year
DW proposed to reduce the Levy from 1.5% to 1.25%. This was voted and carried unanimously.
14. Adoption of the contribution to LOCSU for the forthcoming Financial Year
0.4% of the Levy is to go to LOCSU. The remaining 0.85% will go to the LOC. This was voted and carried unanimously.
15.Discussion of CET Budget
PS Reported that as discussed at last year’s AGM, the expenditure of the LOC remained within the £5000 target. Once again, rather than set a budget, a non-binding target figure of £5,000 was agreed by the AGM with the committee to take this into consideration when making decisions.
RB reported that the current event should cost each LOC approximately £750 each. The final figures are to be confirmed.
16.Central LOC Fund Contribution
Prior to the AGM, background details of the work of the Central LOC fund were put on the website. PS recommended the LOC donate to the fund. CB suggested that it would be a good idea to donate and proposed a £500 contribution. This was voted on and carried unanimously.
17.Future Electronic AGM Invites
Prior to the AGM, the following proposal was circulated:
“Electronic Invitation to AGMs
The constitution of Dudley LOC indicates:
METHODS OF COMMUNICATION
10. Communications within the Committee and between the Committee and the local contractors and local performers should be in writing by email fax or post, as appropriate.
It is therefore the committee’s intention to move to email communication as the primary mode of communication with contractors and performers. This has in fact been the way that the committee has communicated for the most part in the last few years.
Late last year, the LOC performed an exercise to obtain email addresses from all mandatory contractors, and now has that information.
With the advent of a nationally maintained performers list, there is no longer any way of the LOC accurately determining which performers are active in the area. Even before this, since the advent of pass-porting, performers could be registered elsewhere and practice in the Dudley area and the LOC wouldn’t be able to determine that fact.
Moving forward, the LOC therefore will be reliant on 3 modes of reaching performers:
1. The LOC consider it the Duty of all contractors to inform any performers working for them in either an employed or Locum capacity of any communication received by the LOC relevant to them.
2. The LOC also hold an email list containing many performers currently or previously working in the Dudley area, which is updated whenever new information is received (for example CET event applications).
3. The LOC will from time to time ask contractors to provide email addresses of performers working for them who wish to receive communication from the LOC.
As it is a constitutional requirement to notify contractors and performers of AGMs, the LOC request a vote to accept that, subject to the above, email will be an acceptable way of communicating regarding an AGM.”
PS proposed that all invites and communication regarding future AGMs should be made via email. This was voted on and carried unanimously.
18.Appointment of the Auditors for the forthcoming Financial Year
DW proposed E.R. Grove and Co. in Halesowen. This was voted on and carried unanimously.
- Any Other Business
CB informed the meeting that the current Cataract Direct Referral Scheme officially ended on 31st March 2014. The CCG has agreed to carry on the existing service although it has not been confirmed how payment would be received. Other CCGs are using Webstar to factor the payments via LOCSU. Dudley CCG has not confirmed as yet if it will do the same(the fee for Webstar should be paid by the local CCG). If and when confirmation is received that Dudley are happy to proceed with Webstar, PS will contact the practices with details of how to log in and record episodes.
CB informed the meeting that with Webstar, the CCG makes a single monthy paymentwhich goes into a central account and the software then forwards appropriate payments to each practice. CB also informed the Committee that the patients would have to be registered with a Dudley GP in order to be suitable.
20.Close of Meeting
The meeting closed at 8.06p.m.