Read the latest RCOphth news updates and guidance here.
NHS England is consulting on proposals for the NHS Payment Scheme that will apply between 2023 and 2025, including plans to amend cataract payments. RCOphth’s response will support this change as a way to tackle the risk of “upcoding”, with the caveat that NHS England reviews the effectiveness of how the current system reflects the costs of cataract surgery and other ophthalmology services.
NHS Scotland is developing plans to support eye units to increase the number of cataracts performed per four-hour session. RCOphth is inputting into this work to ensure the most appropriate pathways are developed and clinicians and eye units receive the support they need. RCOphth Policy Manager Jordan Marshall explains the scope of the work and future timelines.
Elevating Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) within The Royal College of Ophthalmologists to better support our members and improve participation in our work is a major priority, and we are currently undertaking work to inform our future plans in this area.
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists is working together with Guide Dogs to provide blind and partially sighted people, and their families, with easy-to-access high-quality information about eye health and eye conditions.
Following fears the Special School Eye Care Service would end in March 2023, it is welcome that following pressure the evaluation of the scheme has been extended to August 2023.
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists has carried out a culture initiative, exploring working relationships, ways of working and behaviours, which has generated a set of values to bind us together, underpinned by ways of working and behaviours which we feel will really help to generate an even more cohesive and collaborative environment at the College and with members. These values we aspire to are; Inclusive, Innovation, Improvement and Integrity, all with a set of behaviours that demonstrate what these mean in our day to day activities and working relationships. We are now working on meaningfully embedding these values in everything that we do.
Following joint task and finish groups convened by The Royal College of Ophthalmologists and NHS England, guidance has been published on cataract commissioning, the referral and post-operative pathways, and training in independent sector providers.
The NHS is asking patients to use services wisely during industrial action and take simple steps to help ensure care is available to patients who need it most. This includes using 111 online as the first port of call for health needs and continuing to only use 999 if it is a life-threatening emergency.
The GMC has announced that it will make initial contact with doctors by phone if they need to investigate concerns. The change is part of a series of improvements by the GMC to take a more compassionate approach to reduce the impact of investigations and the anxiety for doctors.
The RNIB has written to The Royal College of Ophthalmologists to ask for its support in helping patients to understand how the Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) and sight impairment registration can help during the cost-of-living crisis.
