Referral Refinement Scheme
Brief Overview
The Bradford & Airedale Referral Refinement Scheme is available to registered practices, for patients whose GP is registered in the Bradford and Airedale area.
The Referral Refinement Scheme allows practitioners to further investigate and refine their findings for patients who have suspect IOP or Discs or Visual Fields as per NICE guidelines.
This scheme also allows practitioners to dilate and further investigate patients who you may suspect to have a fundus anomaly.
TIER 1 - Goldman ONLY
Allows you to repeat IOPs with Goldman if the original IOPs are 24 and above on the same day.
If the repeated IOP with Goldman is also found to be 24 and above, you can further repeat Goldman on a different day (within 2 weeks).
For the first Goldman IOP check a fee of £15 can be claimed.
If a second Goldman IOP is performed a fee of £20 can be claimed.
NICE Guidelines apply.
TIER 2 - Threshold Fields For Suspect Glaucoma and/or BIO Dilated retinal exam
Allows you to investigate for suspect Glaucoma using Threshold visual fields, BIO and Goldman, OR
Allows practitioners to perform a dilated exam for a fee of £50.00. Exceptions apply.
The advice with the fundus anomaly protocol is that it is to be used where it is liklely that dilating your patient would modify your final decision. It should not be used if you suspect wet AMD from history and symptoms and you would be refering to the Wet AMD clinic anyway. The LOC opinion is that if it confirms AMD. but it is dry AMD then this IS a refinement and modifies your referral pathway, hence is justified. This part of the pathway will be more carefully monitored.
How to get Accreditation for Referral Refinement and OHTMS
To get accredited for the referral refinement the Optometrist needs to complete the following:
1. Online WOPEC Course – You will need a code (which the Bradford LOC can provide free). Please email our secretary for the code.
2. To be Competent at Goldman Tonometry – No assessment is required but the LOC can provide a Goldman refresher.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED – Visual Fields with Threshold testing, Goldman tonometer, BIO -Volk lens.
The accreditation requirements will be those specified by the LOCSU / WOPEC distance learning package in Glaucoma Referral Refinement Level 1.
After successful completion of the module you will be emailed a certificate which needs to be forwarded to the LOC. Please email your certificate to secretary@bradfordloc.co.uk
The above spreadsheet is to be used by practices to record and submit their activity for the community services (referral refinement, cataract referral and OHTMS). It should not contain any patient identifiable data.
The spreadsheet must be submitted on a monthly basis to the following email address:
Any claims submitted after 3 months will be rejected.