Official Update – CHEC Community Ophthalmology Service Extended until March 2027
19 March 2026
The LOC received official confirmation this morning that the CHEC contract to deliver the Community Ophthalmology Service has been extended to the end of March 2027 & will not be renewed beyond then. We received assurances from NHS Dorset that the LOC will be fully involved in planning & developing eyecare services beyond 2027.
We raised concerns about MECS with both CHEC & NHS Dorset & received the following response from the Head of Contracts at CHEC via NHS Dorset on 12th Feb:
‘To confirm, CHEC has not suspended or paused MECs services. We continue to accept referrals and deliver the community MECs service in Dorset in accordance with the terms of our commissioned contract.
As specified within our contractual agreement, CHEC provides an optometry-led community MEC service. We accept appropriate referrals for MECs and manage patients within this pathway. Where patients are not clinically suitable for management under the community MECs specification, they are onward referred in line with agreed clinical pathways and governance arrangements.
There have been no changes to the scope, availability, or delivery of our commissioned services.’
We challenged this as it doesn’t correspond to feedback that the LOC received from our constituents. We didn’t receive a response until we recently followed up. The Senior Manager -Performance and Contracts has agreed to raise this with CHEC at their forthcoming contract review meeting.
Alicia from CHEC also responded to the queries we raised recently, as follows:
I have recently visited UHD and spoke with the Clinical Leads within the Emergency care.
I have been updated that our Indicative Action Plan will not affect MECS nor the services we provide such as Glaucoma Monitoring and referral refinement – all services will resume as usual.
The ‘urgent’ criteria would include things that a Primary Care setting would be able to see – however if deemed more acute, this will always be referred onwards to the Trust.
We are continuing our Contract within Dorset for MECS.
The list that has been provided to UHD are MEC’s providers only. The list you have on your website includes all service providers across Dorset, even those not providing MEC’s – for example, Vision Express in Bournemouth only provide Post Cataract services so haven’t been included within the UHD list.
If there are any practices that have stated they provide MEC’s and are not on the list, please do let me know or they’re welcome to reach out to me and I will update accordingly.
The MEC’s only list is to help provide the Trusts with clarity on the providers within the community, where patients may be best seen rather than in emergency care. We have had success recently with DCH and collaborating further. I will be in UHD on Friday 20th March so will do my best on bringing things in so we can all work in tandem. I will endeavour to speak with someone this Friday regarding the Post Cataract issue and update you.’
Dorset LOC Latest News
Important! OFNC Survey: Contractors Urged to Share Evidence on Unfunded GOS Work
Important! OFNC Survey: Contractors Urged to Share Evidence on Unfunded GOS Work The Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee (OFNC) is calling on all contractors in England to take part in a new confidential survey (by the 22nd June 2026) designed to capture the scale of unfunded workload associated with GOS delivery, as well as wider cost pressures …
Continue reading “Important! OFNC Survey: Contractors Urged to Share Evidence on Unfunded GOS Work “
4 June 2026
Notification of Annual General Meeting & CPD Event 20th May 2026
Notification of Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Dorset LOC will be held on Wednesday 20th May 2026, 630pm at the RNLI College, Poole. The agenda for the AGM is attached (subject to amendments). We hope that as many local contractors and performers as possible will attend the meeting to hear all about …
Continue reading “Notification of Annual General Meeting & CPD Event 20th May 2026”
16 April 2026
World Optometry Week 2026 – Dorset LOC Update
This week marks World Optometry Week 2026, an annual opportunity to celebrate the vital role that optometrists and optical practices play in protecting eye health and supporting our communities. Across Dorset, contractors and performers continue to deliver high‑quality, accessible eyecare—often acting as the first point of contact for patients seeking advice, reassurance, and clinical expertise. …
Continue reading “World Optometry Week 2026 – Dorset LOC Update”
23 March 2026
Dorset LOC CPD Study Day Sunday 26th April 2026 – Book Now!
Dorset LOC is hosting a CPD study day on Sunday 26th April 2026, at Hotel Collingwood, Bournemouth (11 Priory Rd, Bournemouth BH2 5DF). https://maps.app.goo.gl/NwXqV2CiywgqMR8M7 We have a limited number of places for this event and places will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. The event will run from 9:30 to 16:30, lunch, snacks and drinks (tea …
Continue reading “Dorset LOC CPD Study Day Sunday 26th April 2026 – Book Now!”
10 March 2026
Upcoming CPD Webinar – Advancing the Standard of Care in AMD (1 CPD Point)
Webinar: Advancing the Standard of Care in Age‑Related Macular Degeneration Date: Wednesday 25 February 2026 Time: 6:45pm – 7:45pm (GMT) CPD: 1 Point (SpaMedica is registered with the GOC as a CPD provider) Stay at the forefront of AMD care with this focused one‑hour session from SpaMedica. The webinar will cover: Latest insights into Age‑Related …
Continue reading “Upcoming CPD Webinar – Advancing the Standard of Care in AMD (1 CPD Point)”
6 February 2026
Optometry Bulletin for January 2026
Please find attached a copy of the Optometry Bulletin for January 2026, produced by NHS South West Collaborative Commissioning Hub for holders of General Ophthalmic Services contracts and their teams. January 2026 Bulletin
3 February 2026
REQUEST FOR PRACTICES TO JOIN RNIB PILOT
Dear Constituents, Pilot call out to primary care Dorset Please find above, a Pilot Call Out from Stephen Weymouth of the RNIB who is looking for interested practices to join, with a view to feeding the information gained back to the ICB for a possible new service in the future. Practices would simply have to …
Continue reading “REQUEST FOR PRACTICES TO JOIN RNIB PILOT”
3 February 2026
PPV Information
Latest guide from NHS SW There is a page for contractors on the BSA website about PPV which includes guidance on PPV, a video regarding submitting the evidence and the informal dispute process Post-payment verification (PPV) | NHSBSA The information that the BSA have provided about the dispute process is as follows: Once the PPV check …
Continue reading “PPV Information”
3 February 2026
SpaMedica Dorchester CPD Evening | Mon 26 January 2026
SpaMedica Dorchester CPD Evening Date: 26 January Time: 6:00pm – 8:30pm Location: SpaMedica Dorchester Overview Join them for an engaging SpaMedica CPD evening in Dorchester. Topic: Contemporary Cataract Surgery – Evolving Indications and Managing Complications, followed by a Q&A session. Speaker Richard Newsom – Consultant Surgeon CPD Accreditation 2 CPD points available. SpaMedica is registered …
Continue reading “SpaMedica Dorchester CPD Evening | Mon 26 January 2026”
5 January 2026
NHS England Issues Update on General Ophthalmic Services Payments
NHS England has issued an update on general ophthalmic services (GOS) fees and payments, including changes to the NHS sight test fee, the 2024 continuing professional development (CPD) payment, and the clinical placement training payment effective from 1 April 2025. Practices are advised to share this information with all staff involved in GOS delivery, including …
Continue reading “NHS England Issues Update on General Ophthalmic Services Payments”
5 January 2026
LOCSU Latest news
LOCSU urges use of optometry in frailty care following Public Accounts Committee report
LOCSU is calling on eye care to be integral to the planning and prevention of frailty after a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report found overloaded GPs could not adequately carry out the necessary assessments.
9 June 2026