Wales
Wales
This page provides information and links to the representative body in Wales and the Welsh Assembly. Content also includes Welsh specific regulations, enhanced services and claims advice.
ABDO Wales
Regional lead: Abi Crutcher FBDO
Email acrutcher@abdo.org.uk
Updates
Mae ceisiadau bellach ar agor ar gyfer ein rhaglen arweinyddiaeth uwch amlbroffesiynol tan hanner nos ddydd Sul 5 Ionawr 2025.
| Gwnech Gais Nawr |
| Beth yw e
Mae’r Rhaglen Arweinyddiaeth Glinigol Uwch (ACLP) yn rhaglen amlddisgyblaethol ar gyfer uwch glinigwyr ar draws GIG Cymru. Mae hon yn rhaglen 12 mis a gyflwynir dros 14 diwrnod, ynghyd â chymuned ddysgu preswyl 3 diwrnod. Mae’r rhaglen datblygu arweinyddiaeth unigryw hon yn helpu i ddatblygu sgiliau arweinyddiaeth tosturiol a chynhwysol trwy gyfuno dysgu wyneb yn wyneb ac ar-lein sy’n canolbwyntio ar dair thema: 1. Arwain eich hunan 2. Arwain Timau 3. Arweinyddiaeth system yng Nghymru Pwy mae o ar ei gyfer Mae’r rhaglen ar gyfer uwch glinigwyr o bob proffesiwn yn GIG Cymru sydd â chyfrifoldebau arwain neu uchelgeisiau i ymgymryd â rolau arwain uwch. Mae rolau cymwys yn cynnwys: 1. Y rhai mewn rolau strategol cenedlaethol 2. Cyfarwyddwyr Clinigol 3. Penaethiaid Nyrsio/Bydwreigiaeth ar gyfer Cyfarwyddiaeth 4. Cyfarwyddwyr Cynorthwyol a Chysylltiedig 5. Cyfarwyddwyr Bwrdd Clinigol Rhanbarthol (Meddygol, Nyrsio, AHP) 6. Penaethiaid Adran ac Arweinwyr Gwasanaeth 7. Arweinwyr Clystyrau Gofal Sylfaenol 8. Clinigwyr sydd â’r uchelgais i ymgymryd â rolau arweinyddiaeth draws-sefydliadol neu genedlaethol Achrediad Bydd gan gyfranogwyr yr opsiwn i ennill achrediad academaidd (Tystysgrif Ôl-raddedig, 40 credyd gan Brifysgol De Cymru) ac ymuno â rhwydwaith cynaliadwy, aml-broffesiynol o uwch arweinwyr clinigol. Mae’r rhaglen hefyd yn cael ei chymeradwyo’n bersonol gan yr Athro Michael West, Athro Seicoleg Sefydliadol, Ysgol Rheolaeth Prifysgol Lancaster Uwch Gymrawd Gwadd, Cronfa’r Brenin, Athro Emeritws, Prifysgol Aston. A oes cost? Cyflwynir y rhaglen hon yn rhad ac am ddim i gweithwyr yn GIG Cymru. Fodd bynnag, bydd angen i sefydliadau ac meddygfeydd gefnogi mewn sawl ffordd, gan gynnwys absenoldeb astudio, treuliau teithio, mentoriaeth weithredol, a chyfleoedd i gyfranogwyr ddod â’u dysgu yn ôl i’r gweithle. Pam rydym yn rhedeg y rhaglen hon Y nod yw creu carfan o arweinwyr sydd â’r gwerthoedd, ymddygiad, gwybodaeth, sgiliau a hyder i feithrin diwylliant o arweinyddiaeth dosturiol a chynhwysol ledled GIG Cymru. Mae dros 100 o uwch arweinwyr clinigol ar draws GIG Cymru eisoes wedi elwa o’r rhaglen ac maent bellach yn cymhwyso eu sgiliau ar waith. Os oes gennych unrhyw gwestiynau, neu os hoffech fod yn rhan o’r broses ddethol leol, cysylltwch â HEIW.ClinicalLeadership@wales.nhs.uk. Rhannwch y neges hon gyda’ch cydweithwyr. Cofion cynnes, Tîm Arweinyddiaeth Glinigol |
Applications are now open for our multi-professional advanced leadership programme until midnight on Sunday 5 January 2025.
| Apply Now |
| What is it?
The Advanced Clinical Leadership Programme (ACLP) is a multidisciplinary programme for senior clinicians across NHS Wales. This is a 12 month programme delivered over 14 days, along with a 3 day residential learning community. This unique leadership development programme helps develop compassionate and inclusive leadership skills by combining in-person and online learning that focus on three themes: 1. Leading self 2. Leading teams 3. System leadership in Wales Who is it for? The programme is for senior clinicians of all professions in NHS Wales with leadership responsibilities or ambitions to take on more senior leadership roles. Eligible roles include: 1. Those in national strategic roles 2. Clinical Directors 3. Heads of Nursing/Midwifery for Directorate 4. Assistant and Associate Directors 5. Divisional Clinical Board Directors (Medical, Nursing, AHP) 6. Heads of Department and Service Leads 7. Primary Care Cluster leads 8. Clinicians with the ambition to take on cross-organisational or national leadership roles Accreditation Participants will have the option to gain academic accreditation (Postgraduate Certificate, 40 credits from the University of South Wales) and join a sustainable, multi-professional network of senior clinical leaders. The programme is also personally endorsed by Professor Michael West, Professor of Organizational Psychology, Lancaster University Management School, Senior Visiting Fellow, The King’s Fund, Emeritus Professor, Aston University. Is there a cost? This programme is delivered free of charge to working in NHS Wales. However, organisations and practices will need to support in multiple ways, including study leave, travel expenses, executive mentorship, and opportunities for participants to bring their learning back to the workplace. Why are we running this programme? The goal is to create a cohort of leaders who have the values, behaviour, knowledge, skills, and confidence to foster a culture of compassionate and inclusive leadership throughout NHS Wales. Over 100 senior clinical leaders across NHS Wales have already benefitted from the programme and are now applying their skills into practice. If you have any questions, or your organisation would like to be involved in the local selection process, please contact HEIW.ClinicalLeadership@wales.nhs.uk. Please share this message with your colleagues. Very best wishes Clinical Leadership Team |
2 May 2024
Shared on behalf of Digital health and care Wales
As you may be aware, on the 3 November 2023 Wales General Ophthalmic Services (WGOS) announced additional funding for community optometrists/dispensing opticians in Wales.
Digital Health & Care Wales (DHCW) has received a mandate from WGOS to provide qualifying community optometrists/dispensing opticians with access to a range of tools, including NHS email (from any device, anywhere) and Teams (video calls / chat messaging) available through Microsoft 365.
A project board has been established to support this initiative, and at its WGOS Implementation Working Group meeting it was agreed to initially undertake a proof of concept with a small number of qualifying community optometrists/dispensing opticians across all 7 Health Boards. The proof of concept was completed successfully on 19 March 2024.
Following the proof of concept, the project team have evaluated lessons learned and created a plan to roll out M365 to the remaining community optometrists/dispensing opticians by Autumn 2024.
For next steps, a DHCW Primary Care Facilitator will be contacting the Practices to nominate a point of contact who can liaise with DHCW on behalf of the optometrists and dispensing opticians in the practice and begin the onboarding process.
We will be staggering the approach to onboard new users, so you may not be contacted straight away, but please bear with us whilst we work our way through all qualifying users.
If you have any queries throughout the course of the project, please contact us on optometry.ict@wales.nhs.uk
02 May 2024
Ymhen rhai misoedd, bydd carfan newydd o Fyfyrwyr Optometreg yn graddio o’r brifysgol ac yn cyrraedd eich practis i ddechrau eu hyfforddiant ar Gynllun Cofrestru (SfR) Coleg yr Optometryddion.
Er mwyn helpu i baratoi ar gyfer eu dyfodiad, hoffem dynnu eich sylw at y newidiadau allweddol canlynol yn ymwneud â Myfyrwyr Optometreg ac WGOS:
Rhaid i Fyfyrwyr Optometreg sy’n ymgymryd â’u Cynllun Cofrestru gael eu rhestru ar restr Offthalmig Atodol (SOL) Bwrdd Iechyd Lleol cyn dechrau eu hyfforddiant.
O 1 Mehefin 2024, rhaid i Fyfyriwr Optometreg ar restr SOL lofnodi unrhyw ffurflen hawlio h.y. GOS 1W, GOS 3W, GOS 5, GOS 6W neu WECS 1, sy’n ymwneud ag unrhyw gyfnod WGOS y mae’n ei gyflawni dan oruchwyliaeth. Lle bo’r Optometrydd / Ymarferydd Meddygol Offthalmig (OMP) sy’n goruchwylio yn dewis cydlofnodi / blaenlythrennu’r ffurflen hawlio, rhaid i hyn fod y tu allan i brif gorff y ffurflen e.e. ar yr ymyl chwith.
Hoffem hefyd eich atgoffa o’r canlynol:
Dim ond Optometrydd cymwys neu Ymarferydd Meddygol Offthalmig sy’n gallu llofnodi presgripsiynau sbectol.
Rhaid i gopi o bresgripsiwn sbectol gael ei lofnodi gan Optometrydd, OMP neu Optegydd Cyflenwi cymwysedig.
Gall Myfyriwr Optometrydd ar restr SOL lofnodi llythyr atgyfeirio, ond rhaid iddo hefyd gynnwys enw a llofnod yr Optometrydd / OMP sy’n goruchwylio ac yn cymryd cyfrifoldeb clinigol am gyfnod y claf.
I gael rhagor o wybodaeth ac adnoddau i helpu’ch Myfyrwyr Optometreg, cyfeiriwch at ‘A Student Optometrist’s Guide to WGOS’.
Os oes gennych unrhyw gwestiynau, mae croeso i chi gysylltu â ni yng Ngwasanaethau Gofal Sylfaenol – PCGC gan ddefnyddio’r cyfeiriad e-bost canlynol:
nwssp-primarycareservices@wales.nhs.uk
Within a matter of months, a new cohort of Student Optometrists will graduate from university and arrive in your practice to begin their training on the College of Optometrist’s Scheme for Registration (SfR).
To assist with preparing for their arrival, we would like to draw your attention to the following key changes relating to Student Optometrists and WGOS:
- Student Optometrist undertaking their SfR must be listed on a Local Health Board’s Supplementary Ophthalmic list (SOL) prior to commencing their training
- From 1 June 2024, a SOL-listed Student Optometrist must sign any claim form i.e. GOS 1W, GOS 3W, GOS 5, GOS 6W or WECS 1, relating to any WGOS episode that they undertake under supervision. Where the supervising Optometrist / OMP chooses to countersign / initial the claim form, this must be outside the main body of the form e.g. in the left margin.
We would also like to remind you that:
Spectacle prescriptions must only be signed by a fully qualified Optometrist or an Ophthalmic Medical Practitioner (OMP)
A copy of a spectacle prescription must be signed by a fully qualified Optometrist, OMP or Dispensing Optician
A SOL-listed Stduent Optometrist may sign a referral letter, but it must also include the name and signature of the Optometrist / OMP supervising and taking clinical responsibility of the patient episode.
For further information and resources to assist your Student Optometrist, please refer to ‘A Student Optometrist’s Guide to WGOS’.
If you do have any questions, please do get in touch with us as NWSSP-PCS using the following email address:
nwssp-primarycareservices@wales.nhs.uk
19 March 2024
Legislative directions require NHS Wales to prepare and publish an Administrative List of qualified practitioners (which includes dispensing opticians). This list includes the qualified practitioners’ details and the ophthalmic services they provide, assist or support in.
Inclusion on this list does not in itself convey permission to perform or provide episodes of care in Wales General Ophthalmic Services (WGOS). Please see www.nhs.wales/sa/eye-care-wales/wgos/eye-health-professional/ regarding requirements to deliver WGOS.
This form must be completed and submitted by the Ophthalmic Contractor or those that are not defined as an Ophthalmic Contractor in accordance with the NHS Ophthalmic Services (Wales) Regulations 2023, ie, those that will require a service agreement(s) to provide WGOS 3, 4 and/or 5 only. In doing so, those that complete this form must inform the dispensing optician that their details have been shared in accordance with the above directions.
Please complete one form for each dispensing optician who provides, assists or supports in the provision of ophthalmic services within your premises or in a mobile setting. This information is required by 31 March 2024.
You are not required to provide information of the qualified practitioners who are already included in the Combined Ophthalmic List in Wales (Ophthalmic List and Supplementary Ophthalmic List).
The form is available here.
If you experience any problems in accessing this form, please contact the contracts management department nwssp-primarycareservices@wales.nhs.uk.
Hoffem ddiolch i chi am y presgripsiynu cymdeithasol yr ydych wedi’i ddarparu fel rhan o WGOS1. Gwyddom y bydd hyn yn cael effaith gadarnhaol ar les y boblogaeth.
Gallwch ddod o hyd i ragor o wybodaeth am bresgripsiynu cymdeithasol isod.
What is Social Prescribing? | NASP (socialprescribingacademy.org.uk)
Other Useful Learning Resources – NHS Wales
National Academy for Social Prescribing video
I gael rhagor o wybodaeth am rwydweithiau rhagnodi cymdeithasol yn eich ardal chi, cysylltwch â Chynghorydd Optometrig eich Bwrdd Iechyd lleol.
We would like to thank you for the social prescribing which you have delivered as part of WGOS1. We know this will have a positive impact on population wellbeing.
You can find further information regarding social prescribing below.
What is Social Prescribing? | NASP (socialprescribingacademy.org.uk)
Other Useful Learning Resources – NHS Wales
National Academy for Social Prescribing video
For more information regarding social prescribing networks near you, please contact your local Health Board Optometric Advisor.
- Patient signatures will be required on all NHS forms from Friday 20 October 2023. Forms without patient signatures will be returned by NWSSP to the Practice.
- Prior to being able to deliver WGOS, the Practitioner must:
- The new clinical fees and voucher values will come into effect from 20 October. GOS 3 forms issued prior to 20 October 2023 will be claimed with the ‘old’ value. GOS 3 forms issued on and after 20 October 2023 will be claimed with the ‘new’ value.
- All paper NHS forms must be submitted within a 3 month deadline.
- WGOS1,2 and 3 will come into effect from Friday 20 October 2023. WGOS4 and WGOS5 will follow in due course. In the meantime, please continue with the arrangements that you currently have with the Health Board around other enhanced services e.g. IP, data capture etc
- Currently, there is only one directed question in WGOS1 required from 20 October 2023 around smoking cessation, please see the Optometry Wales email from 18 October 2023 for further details. Further guidance will be made available at: Latest News for Professionals – NHS Wales
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- Complete the four Mandatory WGOS training hosted by HEIW on Y Ty Dysgu platform, and be EHEW accredited
- All staff colleagues assisting in the delivery of WGOS must complete their mandatory training hosted by HEW on Y Ty Dysgu platform before any delegated functions relevant to WGOS 1 can be undertaken.
- Please note that this is an ongoing requirement and not just for date of implementation
The WGOS Clinical manuals can be found here https://www.nhs.wales/sa/eye-care-wales/professionals/latest-news-for-professionals/wgos-pathways/wgos-service-manuals/
For further questions contact:
For listing: nwssp-primarycareservices@wales.nhs.uk
For education: heiw.optometry@wales.nhs.uk
For Optometry Wales: officemanager@optometrywales.com
The Eye Care Wales website has been updated. Health and behaviour messaging resources, clinical manuals, webinar recordings, and Q&A sheets from the webinars are all hosted there.
We look forward to this significant evolution in Primary Care Contractor Optometry and thank you for your services.
16 October 2023
Posted behalf of NWSSP
Wales General Ophthalmic Services
Welsh Government have now laid regulations that will enable WGOS to begin 20th October 2023. You have a small window of opportunity to ensure you are able to provide service from that date. Please do not delay and do not overlook this obligation.
Work undertaken from 20th October 2023 can only be supported and remunerated if you are compliant as a Performer and as a Practice.
Please see the attached (Updated Zip Folder):
- WGOS personal checklists.
- There is a checklist for a Performer, and a checklist for a Practice/Contractor.
- These do not need to be submitted and are a personal aid for you.
- Contractor declaration for the introduction of WGOS form to be submitted. The deadline for submitting this form is 17th November. You must complete a form for Health Board you provide services in.
- Annotations to current GOS/EHEW forms for WGOS 1 & 2 (including mobile)
- Crib sheets for practices:
- At-a-glance vouchers
- Recommended minimum intervals
- Early recall dates
- Eligibility (ENG & CYM versions)
- WGOS logo and logo guidance, should you wish to use it. Please do not use it outside of the guidance.
As ever, NHS Wales are here to support you. For further questions contact:
For listing: nwssp-primarycareservices@wales.nhs.uk
For education: heiw.optometry@wales.nhs.uk
For Optometry Wales: sharonbeatty@optometrywales.com
To note, Patient Signatures are required from 20.10.2023.
Please do not delay and do not overlook.
The changes coming into force are not optional and they will affect everybody.
We look forward to this significant evolution in Primary Care Contractor Optometry and thank you for your services.
The Eye Care Wales website is being updated. Manuals, webinar recordings, and Q&A sheets from the webinars are all hosted there.
Vouchers Repairs Supplements and clinical fees table for WGOS statement for sharing_V3_PDF1
WGOS COMMS 3 13.10.23-UPDATED FINAL WGOS paperwork completion_13.10.23
WGOS-Am I ready-Contractor Practice
10 October 2023
Explanatory Memorandum for subordinate legislation
The National Health Service (Ophthalmic Services) (Wales) Regulations 2023 (senedd.wales)
Written Statement: Reform of primary care ophthalmic services (29 September 2023) | GOV.WALES
Datganiad Ysgrifenedig: Diwygio gwasanaethau offthalmig gofal sylfaenol (29 Medi 2023) | LLYW.CYMRU
Newsletters and useful links
For queries regarding the application form and process please contact NWSSP at: nwssp-primarycareservices@wales.nhs.uk
For queries regarding EHEW accreditation and WGOS mandatory training please contact HEIW at: heiw.optometry@wales.nhs.uk
For queries regarding mobile equipment requirements please contact: sharonbeatty@optometrywales.co
Previous newsletters can be found here.
For the recent webinars, you can still view them on: WGOS Recordings – NHS Wales
Useful Links
UK Regulation
GOC Standards of practice
Click here
GOC supplementary guidance
Click here
Vouchers at a glance
Click here
