PSCE Bulletin, Care Homes, Update On Isolation, Adult Repair Vouchers (GOS4), Mask Posters And FODO News

30 August 2021

We have 6 items for you today:

1. Vaccinations Required for Staff Entering Care Homes
   NHSE&I advise: “New government regulations come into force on 11 November 2021, requiring care home staff to refuse entry to anybody who cannot evidence that they have had two doses of a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved COVID-19 vaccine, or that they come within a specified exemption. This applies to all Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated care homes providing nursing or personal care in England”. Further details are available HERE.
2. PCSE Ophthalmic Bulletin August 2021
   Can be found HERE.

   They advise that this includes:
     • Improvements to PCSE Online Performance
     • More practices benefiting from online GOS claims
     • CET claims window is open
     • Handy guide to cut off dates
     • Return of patient signatures
     • Help with paper GOS claims
     • Raising ophthalmic queries
     • Supporting LOC Treasurers

3. Update to Guidance on Self-Isolation & Return to Work Following COVID Contact
   In case you have not received the NHS E&I cascaded email, “GW3371 -Update on Guidance on NHS Staff and Student self-isolation return to work following COVID contact”, we repeat a link to the information HERE. They state: “Staff are asked to not come to work if there is a household case”. Any queries relating to this should be sent to england.eastofengland-covid19@nhs.net
4. Adult Repair Voucher (GOS4) Pre-Authorisation – change of email address
   The NHS Business Services Authority have advised that all GOS4 repair vouchers for adults must be pre-approved using the form HERE (direct download from their website) and then emailed to nhsbsa.paos@nhs.net, via NHS email. Their full briefing should be read, HERE and further information can be found on their website, HERE.
5. Face Covering NHS Posters
   
   Further to previous NHS advice that patients, staff and visitors must continue to wear face coverings in healthcare settings, HERE, they have provided posters for practices which can be downloaded from PHE as a zipped folder with various versions of the poster and further information, HERE. You will need to click on their “download” link and then extract the contents of the zipped folder. There are low colour versions for easy printing, full colour, and hi-res versions with crop marks for professional printing. Anyone who wants to download them but has problems obtaining the files should contact our IT committee member, Steve, at sroberts@itforopticians.co.uk 
6. FODO News
   Is HERE, including further information on self-isolation and mandatory vaccinations for care homes, Domi guidance, CET claims advice for Locums and “Optometrists see rise in children’s myopia”.

Kind regards

Herts LOC