OHTMS

Leeds LOC has negotiated with NHS Leeds CCG and Leeds Teaching Hospitals to provide an Ocular Hypertension Monitoring Service (OHTMS). The service is for patients diagnosed with OHT and now includes both untreated and patients on topical IOP lowering medication.

Patients will be discharged from Leeds Teaching Hospitals and directed towards a level 2 accredited practice for continued monitoring.

Practices/contractors are now responsible for ensuring individual optometrists providing the service are accredited.
Individual practitioners become accredited by

• completing the four on-line WOPEC glaucoma modules and previously attended a Leeds LOC OHTMS course or completing the WOPEC practical assessment
• or College Diploma in Glaucoma part A or above
• or College Professional Certificate or Higher Certificate
• or above enrolment in a similar scheme elsewhere on a case by case basis
• or evidence of experience working in a glaucoma clinic

The fee for seeing a patient on the OHTMS will be £55.21 (£44.16 if visual fields cannot be performed  e.g due to dementia, etc). If visual fields need repeating, an additional fee of £33.12 can be claimed. Patients will continue to see their own optometrist for routine sight testing.

Protocol:

• Once the patient has made their choice of practice, the provider will be emailed on their PRACTICE NHS email address. The practice will also receive a letter enclosing the patient’s last Medisoft clinical entry which will include all clinical details, NHS number and GP details. The responsibility for that patient’s recalls then becomes the sole responsibility of their chosen practice. The nominated community optometrist/AQP Community Eye Centre will contact the patient advising them that they will be notified of their OHTMS appointment in 12 months
• If the patient does not attend for 2 booked appointments or they fail to make an appointment despite reasonable efforts to contact them, they should be discharged to their GP. (Please use the OHTMS patient outcome/referral form).
• The OHTMS patient outcome/referral form should be filled and sent to the GP. If repeat visual fields are required, it is recommended to wait until all exams have been completed before sending the form.
• The submission/claim form (for OHT, GAT/IOP and cataract) has drop down menus for GPs, choice of scheme and outcomes. Please note that all boxes in red must be filled in before payment can be authorised.
• There will be an annual audit form which will need to be filled each March to remain on the scheme. This will be provided closer to the time.

The full protocol (updated September 2019) can be accessed here.

A list of level 2 service providers can be found here.

Paper copies of the referral forms are available from Victoria Ajayi at NHS Leeds West CCG (victoria.ajayi@nhs.net or 0113 843 5233)