Covid and Flu Jabs
25 September 2023
A Joint Statement from the College, AOP, FODO and ABDO can be found HERE advising that the Flu and COVID autumn vaccine programmes are being brought forward as a precautionary measure following the identification of a new COVID-19 variant. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has advised that frontline healthcare workers should be offered a COVID-19 booster vaccine in autumn 2023.
Regarding Influenza, the statement advises “Practices (contractors) should make arrangements with their local pharmacy or occupational health provider so that all members of the practice team have access to the influenza (seasonal flu) vaccination in a timely manner. Sector bodies have called on NHS England to fund this and will continue to do so, but at this stage contractors and locums will have to fund this directly.”
As with any period of increasing infection, it is important to support team members to maintain high standards of infection control procedures and minimise the risk posed by infection control complacency.
Buckinghamshire LOC Latest News
AGM 2024
The 2024 AGM of Buckinghamshire Local Optical Committee will be at 8.00pm on the evening of 18th April. Like last year, we won’t be holding a physical meeting; instead you will have the opportunity to pose questions, nominate and vote for committee members, and vote for the resolutions, online. Papers will be posted on this …
7 April 2024
New general ophthalmic services (GOS) fees for 2024/25
From 1 April 2024, there is new guidance setting out fees for general ophthalmic services, including: NHS sight test fee and NHS domiciliary fees NHS optical voucher values continuing education and training payment for 2023, payable in 2024 grant payable to supervisors of pre-registration trainees You can read the guidance here in full. The new fee structure has been updated in …
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5 April 2024
Bucks EeRS – activation of Summary Care Records on REGO
Bucks practitioners using EeRS will have seen an upgrade feature on the REGO referral system which will allow a patient’s summary care record to be attached to your referral. Hospital consultants have requested this feature, to provide better care and treatment of your patients and to speed up the triage process of referrals. As with …
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18 January 2024
Important Update: Buckinghamshire Community Ophthalmology Service
We are pleased to advise that we are now starting to book clinics for the Buckinghamshire Healthcare Community Ophthalmology service. As a result of the delays to the commencement of the new service, we are partnering with an Independent Sector provider (18 Weeks Support) to assist with some concentrated initial activity for those patients that …
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23 October 2023
NHSBSA Provider Assurance Ophthalmic – email address changes
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) Provider Assurance Ophthalmic team administers GOS contract management, GOS 4 pre-authorisation for adults and Post Payment Verification for ICBs. The email addresses for ophthalmic providers to use for these services have changed. Further details and the new email addresses here
24 July 2023
Important Update Regarding Changes To Local Referral Arrangements In Buckinghamshire
Please read this important update below , which is from BOB ICB, regarding changes to local referral arrangements in Buckinghamshire (not for MK area). Dear colleagues, Good day, we hope you are well Further to our previous communication in January with regards to the provision of community ophthalmology and triage service in Buckinghamshire we are …
21 June 2023
AGM 2023 Update
The nominal date and time for our AGM was 8.00 pm on 20th April. Like last year, no physical meeting was held; instead, AGM papers were posted on our website and all on our database were given the opportunity to pose questions, nominate committee members and vote for resolutions, online. Three existing committee members, Bruce …
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10 May 2023
AGM 2023
The 2023 AGM of Buckinghamshire Local Optical Committee will be at 8.00pm on the evening of 20th April. Like last year, we won’t be holding a physical meeting; instead you will have the opportunity to pose questions, nominate and vote for committee members, and vote for the resolutions, online. Papers will be posted on this …
20 March 2023
NHS increases GOS fees and voucher value by 4.5%
Following the recent announcement of significantly below inflation increases in GOS fees, the OFNC have issued a statement HERE. The original letter from the Department of Health & Social Care can be found HERE. The new voucher values can be downloaded by clicking the link below: VOUCHERS AT A GLANCE 2023
19 March 2023
General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) Contract
NHS England – South East Region team have asked to share this with all contractors . It is a national contractual requirement that GOS contractors are asked to complete and submit a Quality in Optometry (QiO) GOS contract compliance checklist once every 3 years, therefore we are writing to request that you complete …
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3 February 2023