Latest News from Hampshire LOC – 21 December 2022

21 December 2022

SERVICE LAUNCH Event 09 January 2023  – Glaucoma Monitoring Service

Dear Colleagues,

Hampshire LOC and Primary Eyecare Service are pleased to inform you that the Glaucoma Monitoring service in the Southampton area is now LIVE.

The service is commissioned by Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB and will be provided by local optical practices via Primary Eyecare Services Ltd (PES) with the support of the Local Optical Committee. The service will be available for patients who are registered with a Southampton/ Southwest Hampshire GP.

The OHT / Glaucoma Monitoring Service

• The service is for patients who have a confirmed diagnosis of OHT (including those on medication) or suspect COAG (Chronic Open Angle Glaucoma) and are considered by the Hospital Eye Service to be at low risk of conversion to COAG.
• The hospital eye service will determine the discharge criteria of these patients from the acute trust into the community.
• Discharge information from secondary care will include an individual management plan in line with locally agreed care protocols.

A launch evening will be held on Monday 9^th January 2023. This is a great opportunity for you to join in and learn more about the service, how it works and to have any questions you have answered.

Please click on the link to register – here

If a Practice wants to provide these services, what should they do?

Practices that wish to deliver this service will need to complete the expression of interest form linked here. Practitioners must hold a WOPEC Glaucoma Level 2 accreditation OR must have completed, or be working towards, the Professional Certificate in Glaucoma.

Already on OPERA?   
Once the practice has expressed an interest on the above form, this will provide PES with the required information to enable practices access to the service modules.

Not signed up to  OPERA?
If the Practice has completed the expression of interest but has not registered on the OPERA platform to date, please read the guide linked here and onboard your practice and practitioners. The Practice will need to complete this process and be approved by PES. Once this has been completed, they too will gain access to the service module once the service goes live in their area.

Practitioner Guidance

Practitioners providing OHT / Glaucoma Monitoring must hold a WOPEC Glaucoma Level 2 accreditation OR must have completed, or be working towards, the Professional Certificate in Glaucoma. These should be uploaded onto your practitioner profile using the guidance linked here. NB if you are working towards prof cert a copy of the email confirming your place on the course should be uploaded as proof.

Further Information 

An information pack will be sent out to all those who have expressed an interest in providing the service already. This will cover all aspects of the service and the requirements. If you have any other queries, please contact our Service Support Team by emailing hello@referral.support

Codes to complete the WOPEC Level 1 Glaucoma module can be requested from Hampshire LOC by emailing isilk@hampshireloc.org.uk

FAQs:

How do I get WOPEC level 2 accredited?
To become WOPEC Glaucoma level 2 accredited, Hampshire LOC will work closely with WOPEC to arrange a date, time and place for the OSCEs to be hosted. The Glaucoma OSCEs consist of 5 stations of which all must be passed. Results are released a few weeks following the OSCEs. The next WOPEC Glaucoma Level 2 accreditation event is on the 1^st of February 2023 in Portsmouth. Please contact Ian Silk on isilk@hampshireloc.org.uk to book your place.

I am studying IP – do I have to be WOPEC accredited?
Yes. To provide glaucoma services, you must hold a WOPEC Glaucoma Level 1 and 2 qualification OR a professional certificate in glaucoma from the College of Optometrists.

How much will I be paid for doing the service?
The fee for Glaucoma/OHT monitoring is £75.

How much time will be needed to do the service?
This is no minimum nor maximum time limit for this appointment that has been set.

Will I have to add patients to OPERA?
No. The patients will be added onto your practice’s dashboard by Primary Eyecare Services once they have been transferred out into the community by the hospital for their glaucoma care.

Glaucoma/MECS OSCE on 01 February 2023 – Portsmouth

Hampshire LOC is currently organising a combined Glaucoma/MECS OSCE event  for Wednesday 01 February 2023. Subject to demand it is proposed that there will be 2 x Glaucoma sessions and 2 x MECS.

We are extremely grateful to Specsavers, Commercial Road Portsmouth for providing the venue for this event.

If you wish to complete the Glaucoma or MECS OSCE please email our Business Manager isilk@hampshireloc.org.uk providing your GOC number and current email address for correspondence.

The OSCEs will be funded for Hampshire practitioners, however failure to attend without reasonable excuse and less than one weeks notice will result in a request for payment from individuals concerned.

Please ensure your WOPEC level 1 is still current if you wish to complete the OSCE in February.

For those who have WOPEC Level 1&2 but who were unable to attend the evening webinar on the 15th November, we will be holding another event in the new year – watch out for communications