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Eye care services
Documents and communications about ophthalmic (eye care) services policy.
The General Opthalmic Services Contracts (Payments) Directions
Published: 19 August 2008
The Secretary of State for Health, in exercise of powers conferred by section 120 of the National Health Service Act 2006(a), having consulted bodies appearing to him to be representative of persons to whose remuneration they relate, gives the following Directions
Guidance on new optical vouchers Regulations
Published: 4 July 2008
This guidance describes the arrangements for requesting information about optical vouchers and redemption of optical vouchers following the introduction of the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Amendment (No 2) Regulations 2008 and the issue of the NHS (Redemption of Optical Vouchers) Determination 2008.
New Primary Ophthalmic Services Regulations
Published: 13 May 2008
Four new regulations have been laid before Parliament, which make changes to arrangements for primary ophthalmic services. Implementation of the new regulations needs to be completed by 1 August 2008. Transitional Provisions allow PCTs to work as if the main regulations were already in force to enable implementation to be complete by August.
These documents should be drawn to the attention of staff dealing with primary Ophthalmic Services.
- Guidance for Primary Care Trusts on General Ophthalmic Services Contracts
- Guidance for Primary Care Trusts on ophthalmic performers list management
- Guidance on Primary Ophthalmic Services Regulations 2008
- Guidance for Primary Care Trusts on Primary Ophthalmic Services Transitional Provisions Regulations and on Transitional arrangements in National Health Service (Performers Lists) Regulations 2008
General Ophthalmic Services: increases to NHS optical voucher values from 1 April 2008
Published: 19 March 2008
Letter announcing an increase in optical voucher values and supplements, on average by 2.7%, with effect from 1 April 2008. Statutory Instrument 2008/553 has been laid, amending The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations.
General Ophthalmic Services - payments for continuing education and training
Published: 30 May 2008
Letter detailing arrangements for payments for loss of earnings in respect of continuing education and training undertaken by optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners on PCT lists and the level of payment in respect of 2007 CET which is payable this year.
General Ophthalmic Services Review - Community based eye care commissioning toolkit launched
Published: 17 January 2007
The Department of Health has launched its findings from the General Ophthalmic Services Review. The main outcome is a commissioning toolkit that provides practical advice for primary care trusts and practice based commissioners on the commissioning of community based eye care services. The toolkit builds on the evaluation of the chronic eye care pilots, which tested community based pathways for glaucoma, age related macular degeneration and low vision services. The GOS review’s findings on a range of other matters have also been published.
Guidance on Optical Charges for Hospital Eye Service (HES) Patients
Published: 30 November 2006
This guidance replaces any previous guidance, in particular HC(89)12, on charges for HES patients who require sight tests and/or optical appliances.
Dear Colleague Letter: General Ophthalmic Services: Increases to NHS Sight Test Fee, Pre-registration supervisors allowance and continuing education and training allowance
Published: 30 November 2006
Letter from Derek Busby to PCT Directors of Finance, Optometrists and Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners writing to notify increases in the NHS sight test fee from 1 April 2006, pre-registration supervisors allowance for 2006/07 and continuing education and training allowance for 2006 payable in 2007.
General ophthalmic services: payments to persons suspended from general ophthalmic services ophthalmic and supplementary lists and premium rate telephone lines
Published: 2 June 2008
(Gateway reference 6917) Primary Care Trusts are asked to note that SI 2006 No. 1550 came into force on 19th July 2006. It amends existing regulations and provides for an appeal to the Secretary of State against a PCTs decision as to the amount to be paid to suspended General Ophthalmic Services contractors and assistants. This is accompanied by two determinations, which govern how PCTs calculate the sums. In addition SI 2006 No. 1550 prohibits the use of premium rate telephone lines by ophthalmic contractors and makes provisional arrangements in relation to them.
Identification and notification of sight loss
Published: 10/08/2005
Gateway reference 5358. Significant change to registering patients as blind or partially sighted
NHS sight test fees, optical voucher values and tax credits
Changes to fees payable for NHS ophthalmic services, and regulations about exemptions.
- General Ophthalmic Services: increases to the sight test fee and pre-registration supervisors allowance from 1 April 2007 and CET allowance for 2007
- General ophthalmic services: increases to NHS optical voucher values from 1 April 2007
- General ophthalmic services: 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
Delivering quality in primary care: primary care trust management of practitioners lists - general ophthalmic service practitioners
Published: 14/03/2005
This guidance describes the arrangements for primary care trusts (PCTs) to manage lists of practitioners who provide, assist in the provision of or perform general ophthalmic services (GOS).
The Opticians Act 1989 (Amendment) Order 2005
Published: 24/02/2005
The Opticians Act 1989 (Amendment) Order 2005, along with a report on the consultation on a draft of this Order and a Regulatory Impact Assessment. This Order is now being laid before Parliament.
Consolidated National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986
The following text represents the wording of the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986 (S.I. 1986/975) as it applies to England, as it stood in July 2004.
General Ophthalmic Service: Abolition of the abatement rule
Abolition of the abatement rule governing the payment of the trainer's grant to supervisors of pre-registration trainees, and linkage of salary for pre-registration trainees to the national minimum wage
Eyes and optical services links
Useful links about ophthalmic services.
January 2001 policy update
Letter to trusts, health authorities and practitioners about three changes to General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) in England. (1) Regular Point of Service checks. (2) Stronger regulation of domiciliary visits. (3) Revised GOS forms for patients, as of 19 April 2001. The changes were drawn up by the optical services section and the Directorate of the Counter Fraud Services in consultation with people in the optical profession.
Contact the Eye Care Services Steering Group
The Eye Care Services Steering Group helps to develop Department policy on eye care, and finds ways to bring general values (for instance the emphasis on patient choice) to the specific area of ophthalmic services. Contact Derek Busby on 020 7633 4159 or email:
Additional links
Chronic eye care pathways: evaluation published
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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