Postal Address and Telephone Numbers

When sending any correspondence please address to Eileen Rainey,

NHS Manchester, Finance Department, Ground Floor, Parkway Three, Parkway Business Centre, Princess Road, Manchester, M14 7LU.

Contact Telephone Numbers:

Finance Team

Eileen Rainey 0161 765 4248

Anita Stanley 0161 765 4246

Debbie Mortimer 0161 765 4247

Switchboard 0161 765 4000

Fax Number 0161 226 4280

Optometry Service Team

Judy Smith 0161 765 4088

Sophia Lapsley 0161 765 4075

Fax Number 0161 232 8073

Transparency of how public funds are used

The Prime Minister wrote to Secretaries of State on 31st May 2010 inviting them to support his drive to improve the transparency of how public funds are used. As a result of this, there is a specific commitment to publish central government expenditure over  £25,000. In alignment with this commitment, NHS Manchester is required to publish similar details of expenditure.

This requirement means that any payments which have been made by NHS Manchester to Optometric practices which are in excess of  £25,000 shall be included within the PCT publication. The details of these payments shall show the organisation in receipt of these payments. The guidance received by the PCT clearly states that payments are to be included except where doing so would breach data protection guidelines, i.e. where doing so would make their 'salary' plain to see.

Therefore, the details shall not show any indication of personal income of optometrists (or other contractors).

The instruction is that these arrangements are to commence in November 2010. Details of all spend between 1 April 2010 and 30 September is to be published as a one off, to allow all expenditure for 2010-11 to be published. Spend is then to be published monthly.

The NHS Manchester publication shall be posted on the PCT website. Any enquiries regarding this publication should be directed to Ms Sue Nixon, Associate Director of Finance for NHS Manchester. 0161 765 4268.

Supplies Department

The Supplies Department have relocated from Mauldeth House to the Windrush Centre as from Monday 23^rd May 2011.

Please fax all orders to 0161 636 7589

Ian Deveney 0161 636 7586

Ian Williams 0161 636 7587

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Contractual

From a contractual perspective, the contractor is obliged to comply with Section 10 of the standards GOS contract, clauses 45-51 that clearly states the grounds on which a contractor employs any person(s) under the contract.

Please ensure that each optometrist is registered on a PCT performer list and has a relevant OPL number (this should be recorded and stored in practice).

New Cataract Referral Scheme

This new scheme has now commenced on the 1^st November 2010 after the completion of accreditation in September 2010.

The RBMS has been renamed Health Improvement Centre (HIC) and is located at Burnage Community Healthcare Centre 347 Burnage Lane Manchester M19 1EW.

The contact telephone number is 0161 443 0631

Fax number is 0161 443 0632

The patient telephone number is 0800 092 4020

NB: Please do not submit any referral forms to the PCT for payment (these should be stored at the practice for post-payment verification), ONLY submit the invoice form to Sophia Lapsley.

When submitting invoice forms or ordering cataract screening stationery please Fax 0161 232 8073 or email sophia.lapsley@manchester.nhs.uk.

The optometry service team have circulated the enhanced service contract for cataract referral and ask all practices to sign and return to the PCT.

Practices who require a contract with NHS Trafford to see Trafford patients for this service, must contact Harvey Bussin – harvey.bussin@trafford.nhs.uk. NB: practices will not be paid for these patients until a contract is in place.

Domiciliary Visits

Regulations state that, in addition to the standard sight test fee of  £20.70, a domiciliary fee will be payable by the PCT to the contractor of  £36.46 for each of the first and second sight tests provided to eligible persons during the course of any one visit; and  £9.13 for the third and each subsequent sight test provided to eligible persons during that visit.

John Hearnshaw Primary Care Commissioning Advisor has confirmed that, if the performer does not need to put the equipment back into the car and drive it to another location, it is all one visit and contractors should only get the higher fee for the first two patients and the lower fee for all the rest at that visit.

Frequency of Sight Tests

Sight test interval is 2 years regardless if NHS or private, usual exceptions apply as listed on ‘vouchers at a glance’. This would be the same for Vouchers. It is for the Optometrist to decide whether a patient’s sight need to be tested if earlier than the guidelines a code is required.

New Address for Hospital Eye Vouchers

Please send all Hospital Eye Vouchers to The Dispensing Opticians, Out Patients Department, Ground Floor, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9WL. There is a delay in processing payments at the moment at the Eye Hospital but this is being addressed. (Paul Showman)

MREH Hospital Vouchers

Please can everybody make sure that all the details are filled in correctly on the voucher claim. A number of vouchers have been returned because they have not been correctly filled in.

• No Supplier signature

• No Bank details

• No Opticians declaration for U16’s

• No amount claimed

• No Opticians address

• Non MREH vouchers sent for payment to MREH. Please check

Reminder

The prescription cannot be transposed into its alternate form to claim the higher voucher fee on hospital vouchers but can be transposed for GOS.

The small frame supplement is up to the maximum amount. It is only meant to cover the extra cost involved in making a pair of spectacles.

There is no automatic right to the full value.

The tint voucher Is to include photo chromic lenses as per the regulations. Should the cost be greater than the tint voucher, no further amount can be claimed.

Any queries please contact Stephen Golding on 0161 276 5531

Parent /Guardian signature

If patient is under 16 or incapable of signing Parent/Guardian or Carer should sign and also enter name in Block Capitals

Private Sight Tests

If a Patient has a Private Sight Test because either they weren’t eligible for a benefit at the time or they weren’t aware they were eligible for a benefit, the Practice can still issue a voucher after the event provided that the Practice is satisfied that the Private Sight Test was recent enough for it to be likely that the prescription will be unchanged.

If the Patient was eligible for an NHS sight test and knew they were eligible but they chose to have a private sight test anyway, then no NHS voucher can be issued

Patients declaration on GOS 3

Patients should only be asked to sign part 2 of the GOS 3 Voucher when ordering glasses and at that time they should be eligible for the entitlement that they have ticked. If the patient chooses to take the GOS 3 Voucher elsewhere only Part 1 should be completed.

Annex 1 Sight Test Claims Docket

Practices should now use the revised Annex 1Docket when submitting

GOS 1’s; will you please enter Performers name and OPL number and if possible which PCT the Performer is registered.

Lost Voucher

Any patient reporting to a practice that they have lost their Voucher must write in to Parkway Three with an explanation as to how the loss occurred, this enables us to do a check on the system to see if they have used the voucher elsewhere. No duplicate voucher should be given without an authorisation letter from Manchester PCT.

Spare Pairs

No patients have ever been automatically entitled to a spare pair of glasses of the same prescription. Requests from Opticians, Teachers and the School Nurse must now be requested by letter to the PCT and we will have them authorised by the Optometric Advisor if she agrees with the request.

Also there is no recourse for a repair or replacement for adult glasses unless they have been broken or lost due to ill health. Patients who need help who do not fall into the above category must apply in writing to the PCT for the Chairman of the Local Optical Committee to approve. Please do not ask patients to phone or call in to the office as we can not help and it sometimes causes offence.

Uncollected Vouchers and Repairs Part 4 patients declaration

Part 4 of the voucher should only be signed by the patient or carer when they are collecting there spectacles and not on the day of order.

Patients Declaration

Under no circumstances should a member of staff sign this declaration.

News

If any Practice would like to include anything in this newsletter please fax, write or email, eileen.rainey@manchester.nhs.uk

debbie.Mortimer@manchester.nhs.uk

anita.Stanley@manchester.nhs.uk

Cut-Off Dates

The cut-off date for claims to be paid 18^th July 2011 is Friday 24^th June 2011. Please note claims received in our office after this date will not be paid until the following month.

Eileen, Debbie and Anita