HEREFORDSHIRE LOCAL OPTOMETRIC COMMITTEE

March Minutes

7.00pm – 8.30pm

Wednesday 25th of June 2025 – Teams

1. Apologies, SW and AJ.

2. ICB update: IP/cost centres and HES CL scheme.

NB advised ICB to look at similar scheme elsewhere where payments are based on number of service users for clinical care payments and CL ordered by the practice at retail price, then paid for by the ICB. More predictable costs for them this way.

Still poor communication with ICB generally.

Warwickshire HES concerned about HES info being sent back out to the community. 

Discussed value of pre-cat assessment to ICB cataract waiting lists – 95% choose surgery in H’ford.

ICB very keen to pursue EeRS with Cinapsis; very smooth system but doesn’t include invoicing currently. CUES to continue in OPERA. Darren to meet with synapses rep to look at functionality – CH to help with this Cinapsis can link into maxims. VEU also want open eyes in due course. 

Pharm outcomes now via EMIS so not as easy to edit within the system. 

Steve to look at 111 calls for CUES in H’fordshire.

3. Tri-county CPD day

Excess funds to go back into the pot for next year tri county event 2026.

4. IP Funding grant and applicants.

AB and DR have made training contract for IP course. 

5. Website update

Privacy statement and data protection included, should hopefully be ready by the end of July. 

6. AGM thoughts and feeling from the day.

Maybe use Eventbrite for tickets next time for numbers as more than replied via email turned up but day went very well really enjoyed the speakers. 

7. Funding for non-Optom courses: NB ABDO courses for DOs

Paeds DO course is 1250 per DO, LOC happy to partial fund similar to the prof cert glauc/ med ret.

Do we offer one DO per practice? Or half fund as current with OO’s. 20k spent on optom courses to date.

ABDO course has flexible intake but should be within 3 years.

8. AOB

Shropshire are removing CHEC to have optom led services instead. Border practices should look to be accredited for these services.

Need to look at the constitution – Steve to keep us updated with new changes. – to give session at next LOC meeting with Steve. GW to send draft consistution out before next meeting.

Now have a debit card for the bank account GW to liaise with CH and AB about purchasing the domain name for HLOC via Patrick.

Charity fund via VE have relinquished control to the trust – consultants want to remove from the trust and use the funds to cover eyecare/training needs across the county – could fund either VEU or the Optoms or both.