GOS Contract Compliance

Help with Contract Compliance from Quality in Optometry (QiO)

Quality in Optometry is a joint project of the Optical Confederation members and the College of Optometrists and its working group includes a representative from the Optometric Advisors' Group. It is now funded by the LOC Support Unit (LOCSU). It started life in February 2007 as a booklet and a matching interactive web-based document, specifically geared to the needs of optics and based on the Healthcare Commission’s (now Care Quality Commission) document 'Standards for Better Health'. In 2008, QiO became available as an interactive website allowing completion of the checklists online and including a downloadable record keeping audit. In 2009 an update was released bringing QiO fully into line with the NHS Primary Care Commissioning contract compliance pro-forma.

It is a comprehensive, web-based guide offering practical help and advice, including links to a host of support documents and websites, to enable practitioners be contract compliant and to establish a firm, clinical governance routine to suit their requirements e.g.

• funded clinical governance
• enhanced services
• infection control.
• record keeping
• Information governance

You can access the toolkit via its designated website, Quality in Optometry, www.qualityinoptometry.co.uk where you will find a wide range of supporting documents relating to the contract compliance checklist.

Help with Information Governance is also available from Quality in Optometry (QiO) www.qualityinoptometry.co.uk

An Information Governance audit tool is amongst the range of support aids in QiO to assist GOS contractors in achieving high standards in optometric practice. It can be found at www.qualityinoptometry.co.uk

With this new audit tool, practitioners, via LOCS/ROCs, have the opportunity to agree with their PCTs the basis for a sensible information governance arrangement. Whereas Connecting for Health's requirements were inappropriate for optometry, Quality in Optometry's information governance audit tool meets the needs of PCTs, contractors and patients receiving Primary Ophthalmic Services. The information governance levels required within the QiO audit are entirely within that required by legislation and GOS contracts and are commensurate with the level of involvement that optometry has with NHS IT.

The information held by a practice, both electronic and manual, is valuable and often confidential. Information Governance is about having processes to help to ensure that appropriate steps have been taken to guard the information and ensure that it is appropriately handled. Most of this is already included in the legal obligations under the Data Protection Act, and the Information Governance audit helps contactors to audit their compliance with contractual, legal and regulatory responsibilities, as well as with professional guidance. The audit tool is based entirely on elements within the Level 1 (contract compliance) section of QiO.

QiO's Information Governance toolkit is the profession's answer to the information governance toolkit for eye care services which Connecting for Health launched in the summer of 2010. The optical bodies rejected the imposition of that toolkit on the basis that it was not appropriate, nor had the cost of compliance been negotiated with the relevant bodies. For details of the NHS Connecting for Health toolkit please click here

Practice Manual

For advice on how to develop your own practice manual, please click here

QiO and Record Keeping

The keeping of full and legible records is not only part of the GOS contract but forms an essential part of good patient care and your legal defence, should something go wrong. The PCT will wish to satisfy itself that the contractor is keeping full and accurate records. One way to provide evidence that this is being done is to show that the contractor is regularly auditing their performers' clinical records. A proforma and guidance for auditing details on a clinical record e.g. symptoms/reason for visit, ocular history, general health, medications, family ocular history, unaided vision/visual acuity, BV, etc, etc, can be found at the end of this page, along with spreadsheets which you may find is an easier way of completing such audits.  Visit www.qualityinoptometry.co.uk for more information.

Primary Care Commissioning - Contract Compliance Framework 2009

The new contract for General Ophthalmic Services was introduced on 1 August 2008. The NHS Primary Care Commissioning Team (PCC) was approached by PCTs to offer a steer on good practice relating to compliance with the new contracts. As a result, PCC developed a contract compliance framework to support PCTs in monitoring contractors' compliance with their NHS contract and with relevant legislation. The framework, which you can find in individual sections at the end of this page, consists of:

• Introduction
• Ophthalmic Contract Visit Form
• Post Payment Verification Protocol with questionnaire, patient enquiry letters and guidance from the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service of the NHS Business Services Authority
• Post visit questionnaire for Contractors

All these files can be viewed and downloaded.  Additional components may be inserted at a later date. Much of what is in the contract is carried over from the old General Ophthalmic Services Regulations or draws specifics from what were broad discretionary powers. PCC has urged PCTs to be mindful that the 'new' GOS contract is a new way of working for practices as well as PCTs and PCTs should be sensitive to how the contract is working from the contractor’s perspective, while everybody becomes accustomed to the new elements.

If you are in any doubt about your obligations under the contract and what you should do to ensure that you comply with its requirements visit www.qualityinoptometry.co.uk and work through the Level 1 checklist.