CALDERDALE & KIRKLEES LOC
Minutes of Meeting at Canal Side
PRESENT
RR
SD
AM
SG
GP
RH
AL
Visitors
Alex
Paul
GP welcomed guests
1. Members renewed declaration of interests.
2. Minutes of last meeting were read and accepted. No matters arising.
3. GP now suggested electing officers for the new year.
GP was re-elected Chair
RR was re-elected Secretary
AG was re-elected Treasurer
RH was re-elected Vice Chair
GP now asked the guests, Alex Swystun and Paul Smith if they wanted to join the LOC as co-opted members or remain as guests. Both were happy to be co-opted. RH mentioned he knew of a couple of LOCs who had a slightly different constitution to allow annual election of one third of the committee. Oliver Sewell had hoped to attend but had to give his apologies.
4. Report on AGM
GP felt it had gone well and was well attended, next year the invitation would be by email and letter addressed to all professional staff or a flyer and put the details on the website.
Points arising
(i) Contact Kirklees and Calderdale CCG to discuss any change to AQP Commissioning.
(ii) All agreed the Anthony Gill Memorial Lecture was excellent, good content and presentation.
RR to contact KD is there any thought of a community Mac Pathway.
5. NKL update on AQP – GP gave a brief overview of the process, having spent over 20 hours working on the process. A few practitioners attend GPs practice to be helped through the process.
There is concern the AQP process may be used in Kirklees/Calderdale and hence there will be no chance to negotiate fees or contents. There was a discussion around changing PEARS to MECS.
6. LES LED Reports
All reported no change; GP reported the opening of a new NHS facility, Spamedica, at Ossett. They offer very short waiting lists for cataract and laser capsulotomy and want community optoms to do the post cataract follow up appointments but the optom must become accredited.
GP also informed the committee that stable glaucoma patients had been written to offering them the choice of being maintained at the HES or by their GP. This seems very unsatisfactory and needs looking into further.
At the AGM RH mentioned that the diabetic Eye Screening contract had been put out to tender and we will have to wait to be informed of the new contractor.
7. LOCSU are starting a push forwards getting all optoms to be accredited to do MECs, though in the local area this is not a requirement at present.
It was decided to wait before the LOC becomes involving in arranging MECs training and there needs to be discussion around fees for attending.
Further glaucoma/OHT training requirements will probably follow.
7a Low vision Eshenbach – AM reported that Eshenbach have a prepared evening, including CET points, and we needed to consider a date and venue, possibly early July or October at the Holiday Inn in Brighouse. AM to liaise with the company.
7b NHS email update:- RR had emailed S Clark but had not had a reply, no-one else had heard anything. GP agreed to contact him again,.
8. AOB
RH reported that Andrew Thornton felt there was a strong conflict of interest in RHs role as a Specsavers LES advisor/trainer and his LOC work and that he should no longer be a member. RH stated he was not involved in any commissioning work for Specsavers and that he was prepared to resign if the committee felt it was appropriate. After discussion, with RH out of the room, no member had any objection and all felt that he is a real asset to the LOC.
SD wanted clarification of when the patient is discharged following cataract surgery. He was having an issue referring back at the Post Cataract follow up appointment as according to the hospital they had been discharged. It was decided to raise this at the next eye care meeting.
RR reported a clinical incidence when a patient was suspected of having a CVA and was sent direct to the GPs surgery but they were closed for training so the patient was not seen until the next day. The GP wrote to the practice saying we had not provided adequate care. The AOP disagreed but asked if we had a Stroke Referral Pathway. We have not and felt one was unnecessary but an education evening would be useful.
RR checked that any email forwarded via his LOC account should be passed round the committee beforehand for comments, the feeling was it was a good idea.
GP reported that Zoe Richmond of LOCSU would be training/maintaining a new representative for our area.
9. No reserved minutes.
10. Next Meeting Canalside 11th July 6.30.