Review of General Opthalmic Services, UK
The review will look at making best use of General Ophthalmic Services to increase patient choice and improve access to optical services. For example, if a patient has been referred to a hospital for ongoing regular check-ups of an eye problem, they could be referred on to their local high street optician for monitoring, which will give them the choice of accessing a service that may be more convenient to them, and will free up hospital capacity.
Rosie Winterton said,
"The review will consider how NHS ophthalmic services can build on current arrangements to improve service to patients. By allowing Primary Care Trusts to contract optical services from a wider range of providers, patients will benefit from greater access to optical primary care services.
"This is an example of how the NHS is becoming more patient-led and offering patients more convenient and closer to home services. The White Paper consultation on improving community health and care services - Your Health, Your Care, Your Say - will ask the public what changes they want to see that will ensure that services are better tailored to patients needs."
1. The Department aims to complete the review early in 2006. Views will be sought from stakeholders including patient groups, the NHS and representatives of independent contractors to inform consideration of the issues.
2. Terms of Reference for the review are:
* To review the scope, structure and organisation of General Ophthalmic Services, their fit with a modernised NHS, in light of the planned move to performers list arrangements*, and make recommendations, if necessary, for reform.
In drawing up recommendations, which should be within existing resources, the review should consider:
* the aim and scope of increasing work undertaken in primary care to reduce pressure on secondary care and inappropriate referral to secondary care and the role of primary care professionals in diagnosing and managing eye conditions;
* the anticipated increase in the role of primary care professionals in low vision, glaucoma, cataracts and age related macular degeneration;
* the provision of greater choice to patients;
* the planned extension of prescribing responsibilities to optometrists;
* patients' needs for integrated services across health, social services and the voluntary sector and the management of long term conditions;
* the position of dispensing opticians in relation to the NHS;
* the role of optometrists with a special interest;
* the arrangements for achieving best value from the current £340m General Ophthalmic Services budget and the implications for Hospital and Community Health Services expenditure;
* the composition and remit of Local Optical Committees.
3. Issues about the level of funding for ophthalmic services, including remuneration for sight tests, and eligibility criteria for entitlement to NHS sight tests and optical vouchers are matters for the Department of Health or, in the case of funding locally commissioned services, Primary Care Trusts, and are outside the terms of reference of the Review.
4. The review should report to Ministers early in 2006.
5. The proposed 'performers list arrangements' refer to the planned replacement of the present ophthalmic listing arrangements. The planned arrangements would allow a wider range of businesses to contract with the NHS to provide general ophthalmic services subject to the clinical work being undertaken by properly qualified performers who will be listed with PCTs i.e. be on the 'performers list'
For media enquiries only, please contact Anna Brosnan at the Department of Health press office on 020 7210 4984.
For general enquiries please contact Public Enquiries on 020 7210 4850.
UK Dept of Health
Review of General oftalmic Servicii, Marea Britanie - Review of General Opthalmic Services, UK - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate