25 March 2021
The national negotiating body for eye care in England has expressed hope that a 1.9% rise in General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) sight test fees is “the first small step on a journey to a properly funded national sight-testing infrastructure.”
The GOS sight test fee will increase from £21.31 to £21.71, while the continuing education and training payment will increase to £584. The grant to supervisors of pre-registration trainees will increase to £3762.
Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee (OFNC) chair, Paul Carroll, greeted news that GOS sight test fees would rise for the first time since 2015, but highlighted that the increase would not fully address the erosion of GOS fees by inflation in recent years.
“After five years without any increase to reflect the rising costs of care, a 1.9% increase in GOS fees now will understandably disappoint a loyal and hard-working sector, which has gone the extra mile in keeping eye care services running over the past year when hospital care was often just not available,” he said.
However, Carroll noted that the increase is a signal that the Government and NHS England have understood the value of primary eye care and the need to move towards fairer treatment of GOS contractors in the future.
“We hope this is the first small step on a journey to a properly funded national sight-testing infrastructure to help meet growing eye health need, focus on prevention and deliver more care outside hospital closer to home,” he said.
AOP Board member, Gordon Ilett said: “Although the increase is less than the profession deserved and needed, it does show that NHS England recognises the need to end the damaging freeze in GOS fees, and jointly we will continue to press for more realistic funding for GOS.”
Comments (4)
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davidtyler26030 March 2021
The answer is so simple but the AOP seems reluctant to take on the multiples. USE the wording on the domiciliary sight test form my private eye test fee or the NHS sight test fee which ever is lower. This soon stopped domiciliary providers offering free sight tests to care home staff after a few conscientious fpc's cracked down. Never underestimate the power of the corporate lobby and the subservience of our so called representatives. Why not contact you local MP and point out implementing this would cover the cost of over 25000 nurses salaries a year
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davidtyler26030 March 2021
The answer is so simple but the AOP seems reluctant to take on the multiples. USE the wording on the domiciliary sight test form my private eye test fee or the NHS sight test fee which ever is lower. This soon stopped domiciliary providers offering free sight tests to care home staff after a few conscientious fpc's cracked down. Never underestimate the power of the corporate lobby and the subservience of our so called representatives. Why not contact you local MP and point out implementing this would cover the cost of over 25000 nurses salaries a year
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rosko26 March 2021
It may be if interest. A sight test in Canada 105 . In America 104. POUNDS !!
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Anonymous25 March 2021
Good news, but not enough. It will never be adequate whilst Optoms who choose to work for the Multiples who offer loss-leader “sight test” charges continue to undermine the value of our profession. WHY WOULD THE NHS PAY MORE WHEN SPECEXPRESS BOOTSAVERS IS KNOCKING SIGHT “CHECKS” OUT FOR A TENNER OR FOR FREE.
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