Voucher Values, Extended Services, “Vaccination Advice”, GOS4 Authorisations And FODO News

20 April 2022

We have 5 items for you today:

1. NHS Sight Test Fees and Voucher Value Increases
   
   The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has said it will increase GOS sight test fees in England by 2% from April 2022. This follows a 1.9% increase in April 2021. The DHSC has also laid regulations which will increase NHS optical voucher values by 2% from April 2022. The relevant regulation, which includes the new values, can be found HERE. The GOS CET allowances and pre-registration supervision grants will also rise by 2%. Further details can be found in the OFNC statement HERE.
2. GOS 4 Pre-Authorisation
   
   The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has published a short guide, HERE, on GOS 4 pre-authorisation requests to repair or replace a patient’s glasses in England. It covers how to check if your patient qualifies and how to get pre-authorisation.
3. Letter on vaccinations from the optical bodies
   This week, the UK optical bodies (including the GOC, ABDO, AOP, the College. FODO and LOSCU) published a joint letter, HERE, encouraging everybody in a patient-facing role to have all their Covid-19 vaccinations. The letter also supports people who are still unsure about getting vaccinated by sharing links to College advice and offering additional support.
4. NHSEI call for extended services to be optimised
   The NHSEI National Eye Care Recovery & Transformation Programme has published guidance recommending NHS commissioners make better use of expertise in primary eye care. The actions include optimising existing extended primary eye care contracts by:

   • Ensuring existing primary eye care contracts are fully serviced and utilised
   • Working with primary care providers to ascertain possible scope of increased capacity and activity
   • Utilising risk stratification processes to enable clinically appropriate patients to transfer to primary eye care
   • Enablement of rapid transfer of patient care
   • Support for a collaborative approach between primary eye care services and hospital eyecare services
   • Exploring the use of a single point of access approach, where appropriate

   Further details can be found in the joint AOP / ABDO / College / FODO / LOSCU statement HERE.

5. FODO News
   Is HERE, including “College consults on IPC guidance as sector prepares to transition to green”, helping Ukrainians and other sector news.

Kind regards

Herts LOC