HEREFORDSHIRE LOCAL OPTOMETRIC COMMITTEE

March Minutes

7.00pm – 8.30pm 

Wednesday 5th March 2024 - Point 4 

1. Apologies  

GW, AJ

Technical challenges initially as unable to accept people into meeting without the initiator here. Noted for future iterations.

Present Tarik, Andy, Chris, Alex, David and Darren

2. ICB update on IP formulary

Last minute proposal presented last Thursday that was very limited in scope of practice. Ankur was after LOC perspectives. Georgia and N Rumney provided a comprehensive edited response to PES / ICB.

Thoroughly unworkable, but have received a holding response.

We don’t know why they have done this now.

Current cost is only about £250/month for IP scripts

3. NM/Spa M Worcester glaucoma service and COGS

Amun is keen to keep as many people in Herefordshire as possible- we can use COGS and PO to refine. Newmedica are happy to accept Case finding referrals, But Amun has said any re-reviews to VEU will be fast-tracked. Newmedica/ Spamedica will have no historical info, so only new referrals

Only refer back out stable pxs that are eligible for Herefordshire services under COGS. This is not likely to happen for 12/12 until have been determined as stable.

DS meeting Kelly Hayward from ICB with Victoria from Worcs LOC to understand more, with Victoria keen that Worcs pick up the Herefordshire model – watch this space

4. Treasurers day in London – Impressions and take homes. 

CH/AB attended treasurers meeting

£56696.20 balance

With the change to the payroll system CH happy that the current reporting is sufficient. 

Feeling was current rates compared to others was quite disjointed

We are not billing hours consistently.

New renumeration rates to consider: £65 per hour, £130 per LOC meeting, £375 for day rate.

Steve has said that best practice to add this to AGM at the seminar 30/4/2025 but all in agreement

CH has shared and excel spreadsheet for time capture, existing committee members. CH will arrange this is resent as part of the minutes. 

CH then arranges payment and tax deduction as per payroll. Need account sort code and acct, address, dob, NI number and tax code. Some people not set up. DG, SW, AJ.

5. Website: only NB and AL have sent anything over. I will just write the rest of the content as and when I get time – this may be a while! David will do cataract, SW to complete paeds and Chris just needs to send over STAC. 

   
   

6. Seminar update/ AGM

Booked 30/4/25 De Coffee Pot 2.30pm (T&C) for 3.00pm start

Lorcan Butler x 2 lectures Headaches in 2025 from simple to sinister

Effective communication in delivering bad news

Zeiss DO lenses and frame a match made in heaven

3-5 Two lectures

Food and agm

5.30-6.30

7. AOB 

Amun and Istent suppliers happy to do a cpd and food to attendees. DS to explore and communicate.

Website – NBY & Alex contributed portions of content. GW still seeking remaining content.

Domain exists as part of LOCSU.

Steve: LOCSU update

Will be at the agm. The NOC 18/19^th May invites coming out, Metropole in Birmingham

New constitution of LOCSU coming out, please look out for and add to next agenda

DS has forwarded the document on the CL Service raising concerns and will meet with Kelly tomorrow

CH has verbal experience of a person from Kidderminster, does not drive and round trip to Hereford of 7 hours and needs multiple visits for refitting.

Could we get an update from VEU about current waiting lists. Cat is currently at 56 weeks. Need to be careful in terms of what the information is reporting

Routine med ret, Routine cats, routine glaucoma, routine occuplastics

BHA – sessions have been done and DS is working on collating feedback to be circulated  back to the community to improve service performance and experience

Feedback on experience is 4.6/5 for the BHA service

Lydia is doing some training with BHA