West Sussex Local Optical Committee

West Sussex LOC is here to liaise between optical contractors and the Primary care trust in the West Sussex area, and promote the interests of optical contractors in all dealings with the Primary care trust.

GENERAL

 

1.       In the following scheme unless the context otherwise requires “the Committee” means the Local Optical Committee formed for the purposes connected with the National Health Services Acts

 TITLE

 2.       The Committee shall be known as the West Sussex Local Optical Committee

 OBJECTS

 3.1     To advise the Health Authority on matters affecting optometrists undertaking general ophthalmic services in the area.

 

3.2     To enable optometrists undertaking general ophthalmic services in the area to formulate collective views on the administration of the services and in particular to make suggestions for their improvement and to transmit them to the Health Authority.

 

3.3     To disseminate information about the general ophthalmic services among optometrists in the area and to assist individual optometrists to understand and to comply with their terms of service.

 

3.4     To consider any complaint made to them by any optometrist against any other optometrist practising in the area for which the committee is constituted involving any question of the efficiency of the general ophthalmic services.

 

3.5     To advise the Health Authorities on matters affecting optometrists in relation to the hospital eye services, the scope and efficiency of those services, and in connection with the provision of ophthalmic services from Health Centres, Clinics and the like.

 

3.6     To carry out other such advisory or consultative functions as may be incidental to or assist in the attainment of the above objects, including liaison with Community Health Councils within the area.

 

MEMBERSHIP

 

4.1 (a)          The Committee shall consist of  not less than five members and not more than ten members, all of whom shall be in practice in the area and whose names are on the local ophthalmic list.

 

(b)           The members to be elected under 4(1)(a) shall be elected by and from the optometrists practising in the area and whose names are on the local ophthalmic list.

 

(c)           An optometrist whose name is on the list of West Sussex Health Authority and whose practice premise are situated in territory in which  or in relation to which the Health Authority is under a duty by virtue of regulation 11 of the National Health Service Functions (Directions to Authorities and Administration Arrangements) Regulations 1991 to act on behalf of the West Sussex Health Authority in the administrations of the arrangements for the provision of general ophthalmic services shall be treated for the purposes of the provisions of this constitution as if his name were on the list of the Health authority and references in this constitution to optometrists on the list of the Health authority shall be read as including optometrists who are so treated as being on the list of the Health authority by virtue of this paragraph.

 

(d)           In addition, the Committee shall include one optometrist elected by and from optometrists employed as such by NHS Trusts whose premises are situated in the territory of the Health authority.

 

4.2     Provided that the Committee so elected shall have power to co-opt one or more optometrists, who shall not have any voting rights.

 

TERMS OF OFFICE

 

5.       The term of office of members shall be four years, provided that at the expiration of his term of office a member shall be eligible for re-election.

 

VACANCIES ETC NOT TO INVALIDATE PROCEEDINGS

 

6.       The proceedings of the Committee shall not be invalidated by a vacancy in their membership, or by any defect in the appointment of any member of the Committee.

 

PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE

 

7.       The Committee shall hold meetings at least twice a year, at such time and place as shall be generally agreed.

 

OFFICERS OF THE COMMITTEE

 

8.       The Committee shall elect a Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary from among its number, each of whom normally hold office for one year, provided that the officers of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election.

 

QUORUM

 

9.       One third of the number of members of the Committee, or if one third is not a whole number, the next whole number above one third shall form a quorum of the Committee. Provided that where the full Committee number five, or less than five members, the quorum shall be not less than two members entitled to vote.

 

DISQUALIFICATION OR RESIGNATION OF MEMBERS

 

10.1    A duly elected optometrist whose name no longer appears on the ophthalmic list in the area of, or has ceased to be employed by a trust in the area, shall vacate his/her seat on the Committee and a casual vacancy shall be deemed to have occurred.

 

10.2    Where a member of the committee has been absent from three consecutive meetings of the Committee to which he/she has been summoned, the Committee may, unless they are satisfied that his/her absence was due to illness or other reasonable cause, declare that his/her seat on the Committee has been vacated, and thereupon a casual vacancy shall be deemed to have occurred.

 

10.3    A member of the Committee may at any time, by notice in writing signed by him/her and delivered to the secretary, resign his/her office.

 

METHOD OF FILLING CASUAL VACANCIES

 

11.1    Where by reason of the resignation, death or disqualification of a member of the Committee, a casual vacancy in the membership of the Committee occurs, the Committee may appoint an optometrist on the local ophthalmic list and practising in the area of the Health Authority or as appropriate, an optometrist employed as such by NHS Trusts whose premises are situated in the territory of the Health Authority.

 

11.2    The person so appointed shall hold office for the remainder of the term of office of the member in whose place he/she is appointed.

 

FINANCE

 

12.     The Committee shall be empowered to make such financial arrangements either by compulsory levy, as provided for in section 45(2) and (3) and Schedule 6(para. 5) of the NHS Act, 1977, or by voluntary levy, to cover the working expenses of the Committee as shall be generally agreed by the optometrists on the ophthalmic list and practising in the area. Provided that the Committee shall be empowered to raise funds by voluntary levy for other such purposes as the Committee may approve.

 

RECORDS AND ACCOUNTS

 

13.1    Minutes shall be kept of each meeting of the Committee as well as an account of the income and expenditure, such account to be examined annually by one person, not being a member of the Committee, appointed at the Annual Meeting:  Such person to be of relevant experience.

 

13.2    The financial year shall be from April to March.

 

NOTICE OF MEETINGS

 

14.     At least 14 days notice shall be given before each Committee meeting. In the case of the Annual Meeting, at least 21 days notice shall be given.

 

ANNUAL MEETING

 

15.     On 31 May each year, or the next or nearest prior convenient day, a meeting shall be held at which all optometrists on the ophthalmic list and practising in the area of West Sussex shall be invited to attend.

 

The business of the meeting shall include:

 

(i)       A report of the year’s working and the presentation of the examined accounts;

 

(ii)      Election of the examiner;

 

(iii)      the election of members of the Committee, if required, to replace members retiring by rotation, provided that at the expiration of his term of office a member shall be eligible for re-election.

 

VARIATION OF CONSTITUTION

 

16.     The Committee may, where changes in the National Health Service regulations or where local circumstances require, vary the constitution. Proposed variations shall first be circulated to all optometrists whose names are included in the ophthalmic list for the area then submitted to the Annual Meeting of the optometrists practising in the area and, if adopted, shall be notified to the Association of Optometrists (AOP), who shall then notify the Health Authority. The Authority will then inform the LOC concerned and the AOP, whether the proposed variation would be consistent with continued recognition of the Committee under Section 44 of the NHS Act, 1977 as amended.