College updates its Amber phase guidance
25 July 2021
The College of Optometrists has updated its Amber phase COVID-19 guidance . Their position remains clear – practices should continue to remain open for routine services while prioritising patients on a needs and symptoms-led basis. Optometrists and other practice staff should continue to maintain comprehensive infection prevention and control procedures, including the wearing of appropriate PPE to keep patients and practice staff safe as restrictions ease across the UK. COVID-19 FAQs have also been updated. See our Covid-19 updates and IPC/PPE pages for more information.
Buckinghamshire LOC Latest News
Cessation of Bucks Ophthalmology Out of Hours cover for MKUK / BLMK
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) has asked us to remind practitioners that, effective from 4th November 2024, BHT and specifically Eye Casualty at Stoke Mandeville will no longer accept any urgent or out of hours referrals from Milton Keynes University Hospital (A&E or Urgent Care Services), or any other emergency / out of hours referrals …
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6 November 2024
Cataract Post-op Portal
As of June 2024, patients attending for cataract surgery at BHT will be given a printed letter to take their optometrist when attending the post-op refraction appointment. The letter will have their unique PIN code and a link to the secure Medisight Portal. This is to enable BHT to collect post-op visual acuity and refractive …
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2 July 2024
AGM 2024 Update
The nominal date and time for our AGM was 8.00 pm on 18th April. Like last year, no physical meeting was held; instead, AGM papers were posted on our website and all on our database were given the opportunity to pose questions, nominate committee members and vote for resolutions, online. Three existing committee members, Ahmed …
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10 May 2024
Buckinghamshire Community Ophthalmology Service Update
The Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) Community Ophthalmology Service has now been running for 6 months, having taken over provision of this service from Operose Health. All patients transferred from Operose to the new BHT Community Ophthalmology Service (COS) who were due an appointment up to now have been offered a face to face appointment. …
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9 May 2024
AGM 2024
The 2024 AGM of Buckinghamshire Local Optical Committee will be at 8.00pm on the evening of 18th April. Like last year, we won’t be holding a physical meeting; instead you will have the opportunity to pose questions, nominate and vote for committee members, and vote for the resolutions, online. Papers will be posted on this …
7 April 2024
New general ophthalmic services (GOS) fees for 2024/25
From 1 April 2024, there is new guidance setting out fees for general ophthalmic services, including: NHS sight test fee and NHS domiciliary fees NHS optical voucher values continuing education and training payment for 2023, payable in 2024 grant payable to supervisors of pre-registration trainees You can read the guidance here in full. The new fee structure has been updated in …
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5 April 2024
Bucks EeRS – activation of Summary Care Records on REGO
Bucks practitioners using EeRS will have seen an upgrade feature on the REGO referral system which will allow a patient’s summary care record to be attached to your referral. Hospital consultants have requested this feature, to provide better care and treatment of your patients and to speed up the triage process of referrals. As with …
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18 January 2024
Important Update: Buckinghamshire Community Ophthalmology Service
We are pleased to advise that we are now starting to book clinics for the Buckinghamshire Healthcare Community Ophthalmology service. As a result of the delays to the commencement of the new service, we are partnering with an Independent Sector provider (18 Weeks Support) to assist with some concentrated initial activity for those patients that …
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23 October 2023
Covid and Flu Jabs
A Joint Statement from the College, AOP, FODO and ABDO can be found HERE advising that the Flu and COVID autumn vaccine programmes are being brought forward as a precautionary measure following the identification of a new COVID-19 variant. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has advised that frontline healthcare workers should be offered a COVID-19 booster vaccine in autumn …
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25 September 2023
NHSBSA Provider Assurance Ophthalmic – email address changes
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) Provider Assurance Ophthalmic team administers GOS contract management, GOS 4 pre-authorisation for adults and Post Payment Verification for ICBs. The email addresses for ophthalmic providers to use for these services have changed. Further details and the new email addresses here
24 July 2023