The College of Optometrists

For anyone interested the Health Bil with its Primary eye care Chapter is to be found at:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmbills/069/2006069.htm

I'm not a lawyer and I would not have realised that this had such profound implications from reading it as our professional bodies are telling us!

I would agree

Well...I'm not so sure.

I don't know what the current regulations allow, but this one clearly allows the PCT to contract with whoever it wishes and to dictate the terms of the contract in respect of whst is or is not to be carried out under the terms of the contract.

The PCT could in theory demand that GOS services must include gonioscopy, contact tonometry, threshold fields, central corneal thicknesses etc etc and still only pay £18.39!

Or less!

This will require a unique and special effort by all to collectively decide to refuse or accept the offer whatever it may end up as. It is very important that we all get involved and share ideas, if just for this issue alone.

Would you English be happy with Scots deal?

Sorry didn't mean to imply that I didn't believe our professional bodies, just that I would not have picked this up myself.

As a full time HES optometrist I find myself in a strange position on this one, I'm much more interested in Agenda for Change for very selfish reasons!

As a British citizen I find myself increasingly amused by the lack of coherence of our "National Health Service". It will be interesting to see if the GOS settlement in Scotland is as bonny as it appears to be or if the English situation is as bleak as it could be.

May you live in interesting times!