News

During the ongoing pandemic, instead of our newsletters, we are sending out regular email updates. If you would like to receive these, please enquire at [email protected]. Archive editions of our newsletter may be downloaded from the Newsletter page.

AGM 2021

The 2021 AGM of Buckinghamshire Local Optical Committee will be at 8.00pm on the evening of 28th April. Like last year, we won’t be holding a physical meeting; instead you will have the opportunity to pose questions, nominate and vote for committee members, and vote for the resolutions, online.

Papers will be posted on this page as they become available, and these will include the AGM notification letter, which contains more information, and which will be emailed to all on our database. Also available will be the: 2020 minutes; 2021 agenda; chair’s report; treasurer’s report; committee nomination paper. Within the agenda, you will find this year’s resolutions and the link to the online voting form.

Elections take place at every AGM, and this year we will have vacancies for two performers and one contractor. The three present committee members who have served their three-year terms have indicated that they wish to stand for re-election. Note that only contractors and performers working in Buckinghamshire are eligible to vote.

Cataract surgery at Stoke Mandeville Hospital - short waiting times and a safe environment

Lockdowns 1, 2 & 3 haven’t stopped cataract surgery at Buckinghamshire Healthcare. Thanks to the green, standalone cataract theatre (which patients love), over 3000 cataract procedures have been carried out since the first lockdown.

At least 10 one-stop cataract clinics are run every week, and new referrals (in February 2021) can expect to be seen in clinic within 12-14 weeks, with most undergoing surgery around 4 weeks after that. Waiting times are set to reduce even further in spring 2021.

The cataract team has worked closely with the infection control team, putting in place Covid-safe measures for each stage of the process. In addition, all patients are tested for Covid-19 prior to their operations and asked to report any symptoms post-op. So far there have been no reports of Covid-19 associated with the procedure.

Watch a virtual tour of the cataract theatre and the patient journey.

For more information on cataract surgery referrals, visit the local referral information section.

Private ophthalmology care at Stoke Mandeville

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust now offers private ophthalmology care at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

MK CUES

On 6th July 2020 we launched a Covid-19 Urgent Eyecare Service (CUES) in Milton Keynes. Contractors may download the letter from this page to read more and to express an interest in participation. There's also more information on our 'urgent & emergency' page.

PCSE

Following the many problems which practices have encountered with Primary Care Support England, we now have a separate PCSE section on this website, including bulletins and two short training videos about the PCSE online claims process.

Local referral advice

Please go to the Practitioner Matters/Local referral information section to download the latest versions of the Eyecare Pathways sheets for Mid & South Bucks and MK, giving information on how and where to refer in your area. Also available are documents on Urgent & Emergency Eyecare Services, to help you decide on the urgency of referrals and where to refer.

Education

Bucks LOC usually holds several CET evenings each year, including occasional hands-on CET workshops. During the pandemic, no CET events are planned, but we've put together a list of providers of online CET. As far as we're aware, all of this CET is being supplied free of charge. See Education in the Events section of this website for more details.

Advice on smoking cessation & other health matters

The College of Optometrists has useful information for the public.

For more local information, download the Buckinghamshire Tobacco Control Strategy from this page. You and your patients will also find lots of local help and support by visiting Live Well Stay Well Bucks.