Refugee Eye Care
27 April 2026
Guidance: Eye Care for Afghan Refugees
NHS England Published Process
This is a reminder regarding the NHS England guidance on providing eye care to Afghan refugees, specifically the process for providing GOS sight tests to refugees who have not yet received their health cost paperwork (HC2 certificates).
Eligibility & GOS Claims:
Asylum seekers and refugees requesting eye tests can be tested under GOS. If the HC2 certificate is still pending:
- Tick ‘Universal Credit’ as the benefit.
- Tick ‘Evidence not seen’.
- Use the temporary bridging hotel as their home address.
This ensures that vulnerable patients can access essential eyecare immediately upon arrival without waiting for administrative processing.
For the full published guidance and further details, visit the AOP link below:
North Yorkshire LOC Latest News
IMPORTANT! Support Drop-in Session Tuesday 9th June – OFNC Survey
Urgent: OFNC Survey 2026 North Yorkshire LOC Advocacy & Action We are reaching out from the North Yorkshire LOC committee to highlight the vital importance of the current OFNC (Optical Fees Negotiating Committee) Survey and to urge every contractor in our region to participate. This survey is a critical opportunity to provide robust, empirical evidence …
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7 June 2026
Important – All GOS Contractors!
Important: Annual GOS Complaints Submission 2025/26 National Briefing & Compliance Reminder for North Yorkshire Contractors This is a quick but IMPORTANT reminder for all our General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) contractors across North Yorkshire. The window for the annual GOS Complaints Submission for the 2025/26 financial year is currently open. Please note that completing this data …
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21 May 2026
Volunteers Wanted 14th & 15th June
Volunteers Needed: Optometry Tomorrow 2026 Join us to learn. connect. grow. This is an urgent call for volunteers to assist The College of Optometrists at their conference, Optometry Tomorrow 2026. We need individuals to act as patients during workshop sessions, helping to train eye care professionals. Event Details & Volunteer Role: When: Sunday 14 and …
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21 May 2026
Next Committee Meeting 4/6/26
Upcoming Committee Meeting Date: Thursday 4th June Time: 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM Location: Zoom Virtual Meeting Observers are warmly welcomed. To attend or raise an agenda item, please email: northyorkshireloc@gmail.com
27 April 2026
NY LOC Workforce Funding April 2026 to March 2027
Workforce Funding 2026/27 Skills & Knowledge Development | April 2026 – March 2027 North Yorkshire LOC continues to support the development of the Community Optometry workforce throughout 2026/7. We have allocated a funding pot of £30,000 for this financial year and have refined the criteria accordingly. Eligibility & Criteria: Work at least 70% of your …
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27 April 2026
Binocular Vision Survey
Optometrist Survey: Confidence in Binocular Vision Research Study | The University of Manchester This study is being conducted by Dr Ketan Parmar, Dr Catherine Porter and Amina Bashir (The University of Manchester), and Kate Vernazza (Manchester Royal Eye Hospital). This short survey for all UK optometrists looks at confidence in assessing and managing binocular vision. …
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27 April 2026
Paediatric Pathway screening scheme
New Initiative: School Vision Screening Improving Paediatric Eyecare in North Yorkshire Looking ahead, the LOC is excited to begin work on a new initiative for 2026: improving school vision screening across North Yorkshire. This is an important area of development, and we look forward to sharing more details as the project progresses. North Yorkshire is …
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27 April 2026
Referrals
Cataract Referral & SPoA Update Humber and North Yorkshire ICB Last year, the Humber and North Yorkshire ICB introduced the Single Point of Access (SPoA) for cataract referrals. GOS18 referrals are now processed via Gateway Accenda rather than the previous referral refinement form sent to the Choice Office. Practice Guidance: Practices not yet using Gateway …
27 April 2026
HNY Eyecare – CPD SRINT Events 2026
CPD SPRINT Events 2026 Humber and North Yorkshire (HNY) Eyecare We are pleased to share with you the information below about the 2nd of a new series of virtual, interactive Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events hosted by Humber and North Yorkshire (HNY) Integrated Care System (ICS) for the local optometry community. To register your place …
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27 April 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
