Frustration over plans for digitising referrals without “fully costed plan for a national roll-out”

The Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee (OFNC) has warned that a new IT system to support digitised optometry referrals across England will be “doomed to fail” without appropriate funding.

On Monday (8 June), the Government revealed plans to enable every optical practice with an NHS contract in England access to the NHS e-Referral service and National Care Record Service (NRCS).

The £20 million investment to digitise referrals would enable optometrists in the community to refer patients “faster and more accurately” into NHS hospital eye services including NHS Online, once launched.

Funding frustration for primary eye care implementation

The body representing primary eye care providers, the OFNC, has expressed frustration that the plans for implementation did not offer appropriate investment for delivery.

Dr Peter Hampson, chair of the OFNC and clinical and policy director for the AOP, said: “The announcement of the introduction of IT connectivity, for which we have long campaigned, should be a time for celebration. However, as we have already warned ministers and senior officials, primary eye care practices are underfunded, stretched beyond snapping point, and cannot take on any more unfunded work.”

Hampson emphasised that the announcement of a £20 million investment spread over several years “is clearly not a fully costed plan for a national roll-out in England.”

“Nearly all of this will go to the NHS or associated bodies and there is nothing at all to pay for the additional clinical and administrative burdens being imposed on practices,” he added.

Hampson explained: “Much though we would want this initiative to succeed, unless there is a clear strategy and appropriate funding to support the work done in primary eye care, this initiative will be doomed to fail.”

The OFNC has published a full statement on the Government’s announcement, suggesting it is “built on good intentions and long overdue” but emphasises “we know that contractors who are already struggling will simply be unable to take on any additional unfunded work involved in using these new systems.”

Find the full OFNC statement on the roll-out of a national Electronic Referral Service for eye care here.

Modernisation for the NHS

The Government has highlighted that the new referral system would reduce unnecessary hospital trips and pressure on GPs.

The investment is set to fund access to the NHS e-Referral service for all community-based optical practices in England with NHS Contracts, as well as to the NCRS, which would allow optometrists to view relevant eye care records to inform clinical decision-making.

Stephen Kinnock, health and care minister, suggested the approach would bring eye care closer to home “equipping High Street optometrists with the digital tools they need to refer patients faster and more accurately.”

“This is exactly the kind of modernisation that will help shift the NHS from a one-size-fits-all, hospital-first model to one that is community-based, preventative and truly fit for the future,” he added.

The Government has said funding would cover training and support for practices to make full use of the new systems.

The announcement acknowledged that, in areas where digital referral systems are already in place, GP referrals for eye care have already fallen.