New GOS contracts approved

Revised model general ophthalmic services (GOS) contracts for mandatory and additional services have been prepared by the Department of Health and approved by the Optical Confederation.

The contracts were due to be posted online by the NHS, and have been altered to reflect last month's reform from PCTs to an NHS Commissioning Board.

Richard Carswell, AOP interim chief executive, said: 'The principal changes to the model contracts are the substitution of the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS England) for PCTs, the removal of the obligation to notify GPs of the results of sight tests on glaucoma and diabetes patients and the updating of references to regulations.