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Eye care services
Documents and communications about ophthalmic (eye care) services policy
Management of General Ophthalmic Services budget
Published: 12 January 2009
This guidance explains arrangements for managing the General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) budget following the decision announced in the 2010 NHS Operating Framework that responsibility for budgetary management of GOS will be devolved to PCTs from 1 April 2010.
Improving eye health services
Published: 17 July 2009
This document is part of the ongoing Primary Care and Community Strategy to support the NHS in relation to World Class Commissioning and focuses on eye health services. It provides practical advice on how PCTs can: assess their current performance; identify their vision for the future, and commission services that meet the needs of their local communities
Eye Care Strategy Group
The Eye Care Strategy Group has been established to identify, and if necessary develop, and disseminate guidance on best practice in relation to eye care services and support for people with vision problems.
NHS sight test fees, optical voucher values, tax credits and CET payments
Changes to fees payable for NHS ophthalmic services, and regulations about exemptions.
- Payments for continuing education and training (19 June 2009)
- Increases to NHS sight test fee and NHS optical voucher values from 1 April 2009
- Increases to the NHS sight test fee for the period 1 April 2008 and 31 July 2008
- Increases to NHS sight test fee, pre-registration supervisors allowance, and continuing education and training allowance
- Increases to NHS optical voucher values from 1 April 2008
- Increases to NHS optical voucher values from 1 April 2007
- Increases to the sight test fee and pre-registration supervisors allowance from 1 April 2007 and CET allowance for 2007
- Increases to NHS sight test fee: Pre-registration supervisors allowance and continuing education and training allowance (November 2006)
- Increases to NHS optical voucher values from April 2006
- Increases to sight test fee, optical voucher values and tax credit limits from 1 April 2005
Guidance and Regulations
Regulations, Directions and other key guidance documents.
NICE guidance
- Clinical guideline on the diagnosis and management of chronic open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension (April 2009) (opens new window)
- Guidance on Pegaptanib and Ranibizumab (Lucentis and Macugen) for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (opens new window)
- Guidance on the clinical and cost effectiveness of photodynamic therapy as a treatment for age-related macular degeneration (opens new window)
Additional links
Also on this site
Chronic eye care pathways: evaluation
Community based eye care: case studies
A review of local examples of community based eye care services, which documents a series of case studies, is now available. These case studies complement the recently published commissioning toolkit for community based eye care services and have been developed in partnership with:
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