30 November 2022
The Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee (OFNC) is warning that ‘a record number’ of primary eye care practices across England are struggling due to ‘historic underfunding’ of NHS sight test fees, the cost of living crisis, and lack of recovery post COVID-19.
The OFNC, which is made up of representatives from the AOP, ABDO, FODO and the BMA and is the national negotiating body for eye care in England, has written to NHS England (NHSE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to make the plight of primary eye care clear.
The committee has warned that the NHS has “for many years, unfairly relied upon patients who pay for spectacles to subsidise the cost of NHS sight tests.”
It noted that ‘such cross-subsidisation is unsustainable’ with inflation at 11% and the cost of living crisis taking hold.
The challenges are compounded by the fact that fixed costs, including wages, are increasing rapidly, the OFNC said.
The effects of the cost-of-living crisis on patient behaviour are also causing concern for practices.
The OFNC has emphasised that “as a result of these multiple pressures, many practices are now struggling and there is genuine concern there will be practice closures, resulting in a significant reduction in primary care capacity at a time when the NHS requires growth in eye health delivery outside hospital.”
In the context of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt committing £3 billion per year to the NHS for the next two years in his Autumn Statement, the “NHS must now invest to support primary eye care if a growth in avoidable sight loss and the personal and economic impacts this brings are to be avoided,” the OFNC said.
The committee is awaiting an outcome after submitting a bid for a “substantive but fair uplift to the GOS sight test fees and grants in 2023-24" to the DHSC and NHSE in September.
The OFNC said: “We await the outcome of the NHS’ recommendations and subsequent ministerial decision.
“In the meantime, please keep updating us on the challenges you are experiencing so we can share these with DHSC and NHSE on your behalf.”
Comments (4)
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Paddy Optom07 December 2022
Time to change the government is long overdue
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hilaryandmichael06 December 2022
But surely this should come as no surprise to our professional representatives- all part and parcel of our governments unwritten strategy to decimate the
Independent practitioners business in favour of multiple optics desire to monopolise the GOS
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Alton02 December 2022
In Wales we have been presented with an increase in examination fee, but this
has not been based on the actual cost of supplying the service, and falls well short of covering the cost of service for most practices. If this fee has been based on sole practitioner practices(lower overheads) or high street multiples(who can overcome the losses due to volume), it does not reflect the true cost for smaller practices with employed Optometrists, especialy in more rural areas. Some practices I believe have ceased providing NHS examinations, if we continue to have to subsidise the NHS this departure will become a flood, in order that practices can survive. The negotiators in Wales have given larger increases in examination fees to those with monitoring qualifications, (where in many cases equipment has been provided by the NHS) where the consultation time is lees than a routine examination which is where the bulk of the issues have been diagnosed? This has been and remains grossly undervalued by the NHS.
Voucher A has been substantialy reduced in Wales, the negotiators believe that
we can provide frames, lenses, a dispensers time for fitting and collection, and cover practice overheads for £21 or so? How can the poorest in our community
find funds to cover our actual costs? The postage alone could add up to £5!!
Good Luck OFNC and England
Alton Murphy
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AndrewGarner01 December 2022
When I discuss it with patients they often believe all our equipment is supplied by the NHS
It would be nice if we made public the cost of performing an examination and perhaps bring public opinion to our side.
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