Optics demands the prompt payment of new GOS fees

The profession's representatives on GOS sight test fees are urging the Department of Health to ensure the new fee is paid promptly from April 1.

Implementation of the fee, which will be £18.39 from that date this year, has in the past been routinely delayed for months while negotiations between government officials and the profession continued.

However, the professional representative group <2212> the Optometric Fees Review Committee <2212> said this week that payments for sight tests and domiciliary fees should be made without delay as the new amounts were part of a three-year deal with the DoH.

Michael Bateman, who took over as OFRC secretary at the beginning of the year, has written to the Department asking that steps be taken to ensure that arrangements are in place so that PTCs, LHBs, and SHBs implement the new fee without delay. 

The year 2005/06 is the last of the three years for which arrangements were agreed with the Department of Health. In addition to the GOS sight test fee, the new domiciliary fees from April 1 2005 will be £32.38/£8.11.

An OFRC spokesman said: 'As part of the three-year deal on the sight test fee, OFRC was successful in securing agreement on an annual payment for optometrists in anticipation of the introduction of compulsory CET. 

'Details of arrangements for claiming the first of these CET payments will be finalised with the Department of Health in the next few weeks.

Claims will be payable in arrears, the £270 in respect of CET undertaken in 2004/05 being due in May 2005 and the £425 in respect of 2005/06 in May 2006.'

The OFRC represents contractors in the profession in fee negotiations with the DoH. It is composed of representatives from the AOP, FODO and Optometry Scotland. As well as the Department of Health, it meets with the British Medical Association (representing OMPs), to set the GOS sight test and other fees.