Please find attached an update regarding some immediate changes to the delivery and operation of optometry services. You can also access further information and updates via the following links.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/primary-care/optical-setting/
If you are closing/have closed your practice and have not yet notified the Lancashire & South Cumbria team, please let us know as soon as possible.
We appreciate that you may have made some temporary changes to the way your practice operates in order to maintain a level of service provision for patients, and many of you have already been in touch with our team to notify us of the measures you have put in place. We therefore wanted to offer some clarity in this respect.
Your practice is classed as being open and providing essential eyecare if:
- Patients are able to contact you (e.g. by phone/email) throughout your normal operating hours; and
- You are able to see patients at your practice for essential/urgent or emergency eye care (as set out in the attached letter) by appointment if required.
You are not required to be present on-site throughout your normal operating hours in order to be classed as ‘open’. However, your service must be able to meet the above criteria.
With respect to ongoing provision of essential eyecare as outlined above across Lancashire & South Cumbria there is no restriction placed upon the number of GOS contractors able to provide ongoing services. Please notify the Lancashire & South Cumbria team via england.lancsat-optometry@nhs.net if you are ceasing provision of GOS and providing services as outlined above. If you have previously notified that you were to cease services, but are able and wish to deliver services outlined above; please also notify via england.lancsat-optometry@nhs.net this will enable us to inform patients and commissioning organisations across Lancashire & South Cumbria who is providing services during this period.
With regards to the provision and commissioning of Urgent Eyecare Services, we are working with CCGs across Lancashire & South Cumbria to review commissioning arrangements.
In light of the financial arrangements outlined in the attached letter, could we request that you temporarily put on hold submission of GOS claims dated Tuesday 24 March 2020 or later while we seek further information/clarity.
In the meantime we would like to take this opportunity to offer our sincere thanks to you and your teams for your continued patience and support during what is an exceptionally challenging time.
Kind regards,
NHS England & NHS Improvement
