News

September 2023 LOC Newsletter
September 2023

The September LOC Newsletter is now available. It features updates on cataract surgery waiting times and the Community Ophthalmic Link and a variety of other useful information.

Read the newsletter here

May 2023 LOC Newsletter
May 2023

The May LOC Newsletter is now available. It features details of the new Low Vision Community Service Pilot, updates on cataract surgery waiting times and the Community Ophthalmic Link and a variety of other useful information including AGM details and advance notice of the LOC CPD Day.

Read the newsletter here

GOS Complaints Briefing
May 2023

The LOC have been asked to remind all GOS Contractors that it is a requirement to confirm the number of written NHS complaints received for GOS in your practice. The online data collection for the financial year 2021/22 is open from Monday 17th April 2023 to Friday 26th May 2023. More information here

Save the Date: LOC AGM Tuesday June 6th, Leonardo Hotel, Cheltenham
May 2023

This year’s AGM will take place on Tuesday 6th June – 6.30pm for meeting start at 7pm – at the Leonardo Hotel, Gloucester Road, Cheltenham GL51 0TS

In addition to the evening’s business there will be food and a 3 Interactive CPD points presentation for Optometrists, CLO’s and DO’s by Johnson & Johnson “The Multifocal Journey”

Please register your intention to attend and food preferences here

Gloucestershire Low Vision Service Pilot Launching 1st June 2023
May 2023

The Gloucestershire Low Vision Service Pilot will be launching on 1st June 2023.  The service is commissioned by Gloucestershire ICB  and will be provided by local optical practices via Primary Eyecare Services Ltd (PES) with the support of the Gloucestershire LOC. The service will be available for patients who are registered with a GP in Gloucestershire ICB. For more information see our dedicated page here

New ‘Urgent Medical Retina’ Referral Form Released. PLEASE USE FROM NOW ON.
April 2023
A new ‘Urgent Medical Retina’ referral form has been released to replace the existing wet AMD rapid access referral form (v6.4 Jan 22). It has been collaboratively designed by individuals from the Ophthalmology and Optometry Departments with active involvement from the LOC so that it reflects more of the variety of conditions now being seen in the rapid access clinics.
 
The form is available in Word and PDF formats from the right of this page or our ‘Documents’ page.  Please now use this version of the form if you suspect the presence of recent (<3months) onset wet AMD or another condition that might benefit from urgent anti-VEGF treatment (e.g macular oedema following CRVO/BRVO). Please continue to email these referrals by nhs.net to the anti-VEGF clinic at ghn-tr.amdteam@nhs.net
Indicative Cataract Surgery Wait Times – March 2023
April 2023
Latest information on cataract surgery waiting times in Gloucestershire is available here  and from the Cataract page of our website here
 
These times are supplied by the providers as indicative and may not be a guarantee that patients will be seen exactly in that time scale. Please note that the LOC is not responsible for the accuracy of these times. If you become aware of significant and sustained discrepancies in the referral times compared to the provided information, please do let us know.
NHS Mail – use it or lose it
December 2022

NHS Digital has announced a change to the terms of usage for NHS mail accounts. Previously if accounts were not used for 90 days they would be marked as inactive and then deleted if not used after another 90 days. These time periods are reducing. From 1 December 2022 if an account has not been used for 30 days it will be marked as inactive and deleted after a further 30 days. Deleted accounts can be restored for up to 30 days after that but will then be permanently deleted and you will have to apply again for a new NHS mail account.

To keep an account active you will need to ensure you carry out one of the following at least every 30 days.

  • Log into the NHSmail portal
  • Log into O365 application
  • Use O365 applications (ie Outlook with cached credentials)
  • Send an email

A pragmatic way to ensure your email stays active is to use Outlook to check your emails regularly which will prevent your account being deactivated.

Help with NHS Mail
November 2022

If practices have an issue with NHS mail they are sometimes being directed by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) to LOCs, but these are not issues LOCs can resolve. Administration of NHS mail accounts can only be done by the National Administration Service (NAS)

  • To request a new account if your account has been deleted please contact optomadmin@nhs.net.
  • If you are unsure whether your account is still active, or you require support, you should first contact  nhsbsa.paos-support@nhs.net
  • Guides on how to register GOS contractors and performers (including locums), a user guide to NHS mail and some FAQs can be found online
  • If you have not applied for an NHS mail account previously and wish to do so, that can be done online

Please note that if you are a GOS contractor with more than 10 practices, then the Egress encryption service remains the only solution at present.

Change of Email Address for GHNHSFT Ophthalmology Referrals – Starts September 12th
August 2022

From Monday 12th September there is a change of email address for Ophthalmology referrals to Gloucestershire Hospitals NHSFT.

Previously Ophthalmology referrals have been sent through to the Ophthalmology booking email address  ghn-tr.ophthalmologyappts@nhs.net but now please refer to ghn-tr.cboreferrals@nhs.net if not referring via the GP. 

This website will be updated on 12th September to reflect this change.