DoH asks profession to broaden care role

A joint paper from the bodies on attitudes to widening involvement in health provision at a local level will be handed to the Government this summer. Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, who is minister responsible for ophthalmic services at the Department of Health, met with the optical representatives earlier this month to discuss the availability of spectacles within voucher values, and the latest issues relating to provision of General Ophthalmic Services. Members of the Optical Voucher Consultative Committee and the profession bodies FODO, AOP and ABDO told Lord Hunt that the voucher scheme was only possible in the current situation, in which it was subsidised by private sales. In response, Lord Hunt asked whether the profession could play a larger part in local level health care, which the representatives have promised would be considered. Bob Hughes, FODO general secretary and vouchers committee spokesman, described the meeting with the minister as productive. 'Undoubtedly there are areas of work that could and should be done by opticians and optometrists which would be cheaper for the NHS and more convenient for patients. These areas could be the monitoring of diabetics and glaucoma patients, and some therapeutics,' he said. Mr Hughes added that for optometrists and dispensing opticians who have had particular training there was a great deal of work that could be carried out. 'There are more services that could be offered, providing they were properly renumerated,' he said. 'However, if the Government added them to the General Ophthalmic Services sight test fee, most outlets wouldn't be able to afford to do them'.