LOCSU and the Optical Confederation have been working together to prepare for changes to the NHS.
As part of the government's Health and Social Care Act, primary care trusts (PCTs) were replaced by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) from the start of the month.
It means contracts for mandatory and additional General Ophthalmic Services will transfer from PCTs to the NHS commissioning boards. Contractors would be sent an updated version of the contract for signature by their NHS commissioning Area Team during the second or third quarter of 2013, LOCSU said.
LOCSU and the Confederation were also working towards a Single Operating Model for GOS contracts, reducing the variation in the 'local' interpretation of what is required to demonstrate contract compliance at practice visits, LOCSU said.
Contracts for current enhanced services have become the responsibility of clinical commissioning groups, and contractors sent an updated version of any existing enhanced contracts for signature by the CCG.
LOCSU said a number of Local Optical Committees (LOCs) were negotiating contracts for new local services with CCGs.
Practices should be informed of any changes in where to submit GOS claims and enhanced services claims locally, it added, although in many cases this was not expected to change.