News & Views

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) has today published the results of its 2022 workforce census, highlighting the scale of staff shortages in NHS ophthalmology services and how they will continue to worsen over the coming years without immediate action. The report also finds increasing concerns regarding the impact of independent sector providers (private companies undertaking NHS-funded services) delivering NHS ophthalmology care.

Ophthalmologists affected by taxation on NHS pensions will be pleased by the government’s announcement of changes to the Lifetime and Annual Allowance, directly aimed at preventing more NHS doctors retiring early or reducing hours. The government also reconfirmed it will shortly be publishing its long term NHS workforce plan.

An annual survey into workplace medical training across the UK includes questions on doctors’ experiences of discrimination for the first time this year. From today (Tuesday 21 March 2023), doctors are being urged to share their perspectives on topics across learning, support and supervision in the General Medical Council (GMC)’s yearly National training survey.

RCOphth welcomes the recommendations from the Public Accounts Committee inquiry report ‘Managing NHS backlogs & waiting times in England’ as a positive step in focusing efforts to tackle backlogs, especially where the Committee has taken on board evidence from our submission. This article summarises key recommendations from the report and their relevance for ophthalmology services, while outlining what further measures the College believes are needed to bring down ophthalmology backlogs.

NHS Scotland is developing plans to support eye units to increase the number of cataracts performed per four-hour session. RCOphth is inputting into this work to ensure the most appropriate pathways are developed and clinicians and eye units receive the support they need. RCOphth Policy Manager Jordan Marshall explains the scope of the work and future timelines.

While health was not the central focus amid a range of important announcements on tax and spending, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement contained a positive commitment on workforce planning. RCOphth Policy Manager Jordan Marshall analyses the implications for ophthalmology.