Autumn date for GOS conclusions

The outcome of the GOS review will serve as a 'microcosm' of the reforms the government is trying implement throughout the Health Service, its project manager said this week.
Speaking at a packed FODO agm, Dilip Chauhan
commented the review's initial conclusions will be ready by the autumn.
The meeting also heard that the profession would be the focus of nine events early next year hosted by the NHS Primary Care Contracting (PCC), the body which supports the development of primary care across all PCTs in England. Chauhan said the review would be concluded by the end of the year, and noted the criticism that optometry was not recognised in the White Paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say.
However, recommendations from the paper will influence the GOS review, with other factors including practice-based commissioning, payment by results and commissioning policy.
He said the main 'drivers' which would be considered for achieving the aims of the GOS review include financial factors, questions on capacity and workforce-related issues.
John Hearnshaw, optometry adviser to PCC, told the agm that 2007 would be an important year in training those involved in ophthalmic primary care to meet the objectives of the finalised GOS review.
Hernshaw, whose organisation hosted the Eyecare Pathways event in 2004, confirmed there were six events pencilled in to discuss the outcome of the GOS review, and three others on the eyecare pathways pilots. He expected them to be held between January and March.
FODO also held its annual dinner earlier this week, 
with health minister Rosie Winterton as the guest of honour.
Winterton was joined at the dinner by Department of Health head of optometry Ben Dyson and Imperial College's lead health economist Professor Nick Bosanquet whose authored a report earlier in the year called for a radical overhaul of the way the NHS funds primary ophthalmic services.