What assessment has the Minister made of whether the proposed changes to the General Ophthalmic Scheme would be better balanced between reimbursement for optometrists’ services and spectacle vouchers?
In 2021 the Welsh Government published ‘Future Approach for Optometry Services’ setting out our plans for eye care over the next decade. The overall aims of the Future Approach for Optometry Services seek to provide clinically focused services that diagnose, manage, and treat more people closer to home.
Following publication of the Future Approach for Optometry Services and Programme for Government, Welsh Government established an Optometry Contract Reform Group to enable the commitments assigned to ophthalmic services during this Senedd term to be progressed and delivered.
Subsequent to Optometry Contract Negotiations, new service models and associated costs were agreed for implementation of a new optometry contract, which will be stepped up over the next 3 years.
The new Wales General Ophthalmic Services and voucher value reflects the actual cost of providing services and glasses/contact lenses through the introduction of appropriately costed fees. This ensures patients who are most in need financially, continue to receive the most appropriate service and glasses/contact lenses.
The new clinical fees and vouchers have been modelled to ensure activity and fees are now aligned. This will create the correct balance in reimbursement to optometry practices to enable the move away from a retail-based model to a clinical-based model. This will also increase the clinical capacity of optometry practices to engage in delivering eye care releasing specialist consultant and GP resource.
Clinical fees and voucher values will be subject to annual, tripartite negotiations between Welsh Government, NHS Wales, and Optometry Wales. This will ensure they accurately and fairly remunerate optometry practices for the work completed. Data from service evaluation and audit will be used to help inform these decisions and ensure fees continue to keep services viable and accessible to all.