IMPORTANT eRS Update: Hampshire LOC Advises Contractors Not to Make Further Committments – 21 July 2026

IMPORTANT eRS Update: Hampshire LOC Advises Contractors Not to Make Further Committments

Hampshire LOC is now advising GOS contractors against continuing with the ongoing eRS adoption that is underway in Hampshire. We appreciate this deviates from our previous communication that was issued in February.

This decision aligns with the OFNC’s statement that was published on   24 June strongly advising all LOCs and GOS contractors against making any local commitments.  This was because important developments like eRS cannot be run as unfunded burdens on GOS as this may create an unintended patient safety risk. Their advice was to wait for the current discussions at government level to be completed.

Here in Hampshire, we are in a unique position given the HIOW ICB started the rollout of eRS back in February, before it became a planned national project. Following 24 June, the LOC wanted to gain feedback from our local contractors and performers regarding their personal experiences with the current onboarding process before we issued a statement. We therefore hosted a webinar on 16 July (with the support from LOCSU and the OFNC) which provided a valuable opportunity to share experiences and discuss the ongoing challenges relating to eRS and GOS.

It has become very clear to the LOC that the unfunded workload eRS has created is not sustainable for businesses. Also, the current design of eRS is not fit for purpose in terms of accessing and using the system. It must be safe with appropriate governance and designed with optometrists in mind.

Therefore, the LOC support OFNC’s statement “contractors should not at this point make any commitments to ERS until the national negotiations are complete and we know what is and what is not feasible in terms of funding – this includes transitioning from, or building upon, existing local versions of ERS.”

Please refer to the original OFNC statement OFNC Letter re ERS 24 June 2026.pdf for further information.

If you have any questions, please email Chair@hampshireloc.org.uk