26 August 2022

FODO Ireland member update - 26 August

This week:

• FODO Ireland's pre-Budget 2023 submission
• ‘Eye Care in Focus' Conference 2022
• CORU Annual report reveals growth in 2021
• Optical claims under Treatment Benefit Scheme increase
• Change to Treatment Benefit Scheme for contact lenses
• ‘Retina 2022' call for contributions by 1 September

FODO Ireland's pre-Budget 2023 submission

Ireland's 2023 Budget, set to be announced on Tuesday 27 September, could be the biggest spend in years. It's understood that the Budget package will be €6.7 billion, which is €2.2 billion greater than originally planned.

FODO Ireland, like other organisations, has submitted a pre-Budget request on spending, calling for more investment in primary eye care, including increased funding to:

• Help under-16s have their sight test in primary eye care practices based on clinical need not ability to pay 
• Properly fund eye care services under the Medical Card
• Invest in providing more care in primary eye care settings to reduce pressure on hospital eye departments and prevent avoidable sight loss
• Fund an electronic referral system so that eye care professionals in primary and secondary care can work together to meet eye health needs
• Provide immediate approval online for medical card patients so that they don't have to wait months for approval and suffer risks associated with uncorrected vision and the risk of avoidable sight loss.

'Eye Care in Focus' Conference 2022

The Irish College of Ophthalmologists invites optometrists, dispensing opticians, ophthalmologists, general practitioners, orthoptists, ophthalmic nurses and technicians to take part in the inaugural 'Eye Care in Focus' Conference on Tuesday 4 October.

The conference for the extended eye care team will take place from 9.30am - 4.30pm at The Gibson Hotel, Dublin.

Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer of the Health Service Executive, will give a keynote presentation on 'Learnings from COVID-19'.

Registration fee: €80 (includes lunch and morning refreshments); Early bird registration (before 2 September): €60 - use code VFC48OK7

Read the programme and register

CORU Annual report reveals growth in 2021

The CORU Annual Report 2021 shows progress in delivering regulation for health and social care professions in Ireland and a 15% increase in registrants in a year.

Optometrists comprise 929 of the 23,936 professionals registered with CORU's Registration Boards on 27 July.

Read more at FODO Ireland.ie

Optical claims under Treatment Benefit Scheme increase

The number of requests for eligibility for optical benefits and the number of claims for optical benefits both recovered following COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. They each increased by over 25% in 2021. The Department of Social Protection has released the figures as part of its annual report.

Read more at FODO Ireland.ie

Change to Treatment Benefit Scheme for contact lenses

FODO Ireland has welcomed the Minister for Social Protection's announcement of enhanced grants of up to €1,000 towards the cost of medically required contact lenses. The grants, currently provided every four years, will be made available every two years for employees and the self-employed, with immediate effect. This is provided under the Treatment Benefit Scheme (TBS) and ensures similar support to those who access TBS for a pair of spectacles.

Read more at FODO Ireland.ie

'Retina 2022' call for contributions by 1 September

Fighting Blindness launches its Retina 2022 Scientific Programme on 4 November and is calling for abstracts to be submitted for poster display or a short talk presentation. The closing date is Thursday 1 September.

Read more at FODO Ireland.ie