OFNC statement in response to the DHSC press release
9 June 2026
IMPORTANT: OFNC statement in response to the DHSC press release.
As emphasised in the recent OFNC meetings, we have reached a critical moment for primary care optometry, and it is vital the profession takes a joined-up approach.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published this release very late on Monday 8 June. This is the anticipated ERS release trailed in our session on 4 June. OFNC had advanced sight and coordinated this statement in response.
Whilst the DHSC release may appear positive, indeed over-hyped, the sector has serious concern around:
ERS (NHS e-Referral System), SPoA (Single Point of Access) and NCRS (National Care Record Service) all adding extra unfunded work to an already under-funded GOS which pays only £24.13 for a sight test. Cost pressures on the sector – certainly no lower than other parts of primary care and possibly higher, given discretionary spend element (spectacles and contact lenses) which subsidies the NHS sight test. The high level of unfunded work already provided within and in relation to the NHS sight test. The impact of adopting ERS without proper funding – for implementation, out-of-practice training and ongoing use of the system which will add to both clinical and administrative time. The fact that £20 million is promoted for publication but in fact will not go very far, especially when most of it will go to the NHS or associated bodies and to practices. OFNC has made these concerns very clear to DHSC over a number of weeks, but DHSC has decided to proceed in any event knowing that this will not go down well with the profession.
Call to action 1:
If you or your LOC is approached regarding this release, please refuse to comment, provide the OFNC statement to the enquirer, and alert LOCSU immediately via info@locsu.co.uk, with FAO CEO in the subject heading.
Call to action 2:
Remind all contractors in England to complete this important OFNC survey which will provide powerful data for use with Ministers at a critical time for the profession. This closes on 22 June 2026 – please ensure that you share this with contractors to complete. A draft email for LOCs to use is included in the email that will be sent to all contractors that we have details for.
Thank you for your support – it’s incredibly important that the whole sector is aligned and that we provide a strong and unified front.
Nizz Sabir – Chair, North and North East Lincolnshire Local Optical Committee
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