Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee
The recognised negotiating body for General Ophthalmic Service (GOS) fees and grants for community optometry
The Association of Optometrists is a member of the Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee (OFNC). Other members include the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO), the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Federation of Opticians.
Membership of the OFNC
- Paul Carroll (Optometrist, FODO) - Chair
- Henrietta Alderman (CEO, AOP)
- Peter Hampson (Optometrist, AOP)
- Gordon Ilett (Optometrist, AOP)
- Tushar Majithia (Optometrist, AOP)
- Harjit Sandhu (CEO, FODO)
- David Hewlett (FODO)
- Sir Anthony Garrett (CEO, ABDO)
- Simon Longstaff (OMP , BMA)
- Alan Tinger (FODO)
- Professor Nagasubramanian (OMP, BMA)
- Tom Andrews (BMA).
Secretary: Tony Stafford (AOP)
Observers: Mike Fegan (Chair, LOCSU), Richard Whittington (COO, LOCSU)
The OFNC can be contacted via [email protected]
GOS fees and grants for 2021-22
GOS sight test fees are increasing by 1.9% from April 2021. The GOS CET allowances and pre-registration supervision grants will also rise by the same percentage.
The fees for GOS sight tests in England were last increased in April 2015 by 1%. Since then the sector has seen five consecutive years with no fee increase, while contractors’ costs have continued to rise.
The OFNC had pressed for urgent action to address the widening gap between NHS sight test fees and inflation, and the relative underfunding of primary eye are compared to other NHS care.
Relevant documents for the 2021-22 financial year are:
- OFNC bid for GOS fees 2021-22 (January 2021)
- Department of Health and Social care decision letter (March 2021)
- OFNC response to DHSC (March 2021)
Previous year's bids
Papers relating to previous years’ bids can be downloaded here:
- 2020-2021 negotiating round (zip file)
- 2019-20 negotiating round (zip file)
- 2018-19 negotiating round (zip file)
- 2017-18 negotiating round (zip file)
- 2016-17 negotiating round (zip file)
- 2015-16 negotiating round (zip file)
- 2014-15 negotiating round (zip file)
- OFNC correspondence with the Department of Health (zip file)
- OFNC correspondence with the Department of Health regarding IT investment (zip file)
- OFNC press statements (zip file)