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The Department of Health has said it would consult again on the requirement for practitioners to notify GPs every time an NHS eye test is carried out on a patient with diabetes or glaucoma, if a sufficient argument was put forward by the profession.

The requirement, which was first introduced in 1986, is retained in the new GOS contract which comes into force on August 1 2008.

However, many optical practitioners have argued that it places an unnecessary bureaucratic burden on them. Instead they feel they should be able to exercise their clinical judgement on when to notify a patient's GP.

In a statement to Optician this week, a Department spokesman said: 'We consulted professional bodies on removing this longstanding requirement and having considered responses to the consultation the existing position was maintained.

'The requirement was, therefore, carried forward into the new General Ophthalmic Services Contracts Regulations 2008. This is a matter on which we could consult again if there were reason to do so and we would then take a view in the light of the results of that consultation.'

Last month, the AOP said it had worked to bring about a re-think on this obligation. The Association announced that it had requested all LOCs to write to their local medical committee to ask if local GPs wished to be informed of every test performed, regardless of the outcome.

The AOP also produced a sample letter for members to use to write to Professor David Haslam of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) urging a rethink on the college's position to retain the current requirement intact.

However, when contacted by Optician, the RCGP ruled out any change in its position, regardless of any petitioning to them by AOP members on the grounds of patient safety.

A RCGP spokeswoman told Optician: 'The college is aware of concerns raised by the AOP regarding the requirement for optical practitioners to pass on details of NHS sight tests for patients with diabetes or glaucoma.

'We continue to stand by the recommendations, made not by David Haslam personally, but by the college in the usual way, to this Department of Health consultation.

'We maintain that any changes to these duties may impact on patient safety and communication between healthcare professionals.'

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