What’s New
West Sussex LOC will be arranging Goldmann and Perkins tonometry training sessions in Worthing, Chichester and the Horsham/Crawley area, probably running in the New Year. More information to follow once we have dates and locations.
In the meantime, East Sussex LOC are running 2 Goldmann tonometry training sessions as follows:
Monday 5th December and Wednesday 14th December 2011
Eyesite, 47/48 North Street, Brighton - Starting at 6.30pm - 1 place left on 5th December and 2 on the 14th December
Each session will have a maximum of 12 attendees, working in groups and practicing on each other. The evening will include tonometry practice and readings and calibration of the tonometer. No refreshments will be provided, so please bring your own drinks. The session is expected to last around 1 hour. Training will be undertaken by local optometrists.
Please let me know if you would like to attend one of these ESLOC sessions. There is no cost involved and there are no CET points for this training
Many thanks
Jackie Oxley
Administrator ESLOC & WSLOC
NHS Choices
The NHS Choices system is being enhanced from September 2011 to include more information about practices, self-editable practice profiles and a new feedback and response facility system for patients. This change is to bring optical contractors into line with the NHS Choices systems that have already been rolled out for NHS hospitals, GPs, dentists and pharmacists Guidance on NHS Choices prepared by the Optical Confederation will help you.
NHS.net email addresses
West Sussex PCT are inviting all practices/optometrists to sign up for a nhs.net e-mail address as an aid to improving the speed of referrals, please respond positively as this will be one of the steps towards shared care enhanced services.
Glaucoma scheme paperwork
By now all members should have received the Glaucoma Referral Refinement contract, please read carefully and join in. You have a paper copy of the claim form in the pack which you can photocopy but GRR Claim form is a pdf version.
Cataract pathway
West Sussex LOC are advising members to follow the orignal Cataract pathway guidlines on referral and ignore the new imposed limits. It is your responsibility to refer pathology in discussion with your patient, if the hospital/PCT/GP wants to restrict access to treatment they will need to carry that through. The only way an optometrist should deviate from the original pathway guidelines is if there is a subsequent (funded) enhanced scheme agreed to allow the anticipated counselling that will be involved.