In Focus: Practices owed thousands after payment blunders

A series of administrative and IT blunders at Primary Care Support England (PCSE) and Primary Eye Services (PES) have left practices around England waiting for five-figure General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) remuneration sums and being forced to pull out of additional services like minor eye conditions services (Mecs) and Covid-19 urgent eyecare services (Cues), severely restricting local care for patients.

Practitioners have been subjected to months of delayed GOS payments as a result of PSCE rejecting paper form submissions, while practices working with Mecs, Cues and post-cataract support have had similar length delays in payments after PES said it experienced Covid-19-related logistical difficulties and issues after Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) mergers.