Eyes At Home Follows the domiciliary code of conduct
Clinical
Patients will receive a sight test
in accordance with the regulations, their individual needs and
the duty of care and confidentiality of the optometrist towards
the patient
Providers will utilise specialized
portable equipment to enable the optometrist to deliver the best
possible care to the patient consistent with the regulations
Where the environment or medical
limitations of the patient make it impossible to include the
full range of procedures, the reasons will be shown on the record
card
Providers acknowledge that when
supplying domiciliary services they are acting in a privileged
position of trust. All providers will monitor and support any
clinical staff with regular clinical governance reviews
Preparation
NHS sight tests will be offered
to those who cannot access community optical practices unaccompanied,
as a result of mental or physical disability, as set out in the
regulations
Eligibility for a domiciliary examination
will be established and the reason noted on the record card,
as will any eligibility for an optical voucher, as set out in
the regulations
The provider takes responsibility
for confirming that the venue complies with the regulations and
that the address is the normal place of residence of the patient
Providers will respect the right
of each patient to make their individual choice of provider for
services and appliances
Continuing
Care
Spectacles dispensed will be fitted
individually to patients and any tolerance problems will be addressed
by suitably trained staff
Providers commit themselves to
revisiting each patient for a further eye examination as indicated
at their previous examination (subject to the patient /carers
agreement)
Patients have a right to expect a high standard
of continuing care which ensures that any follow-up care required
or requested is provided efficiently and professionally
Providers have an obligation to
ensure that, when a patient opts to be cared for by another provider,
relevant information (eg spectacle prescription and date of last
sight test) is made available to that new provider with the consent
of the patient or the patients carer
Communication
Providers will only recruit clinical personnel who
possess the specialised communication skills and clinical skills
necessary for domiciliary patients
Each patient will be treated as
an individual throughout their care unless this is inappropriate
and communication will primarily be with them
Carers and relatives will be involved
where appropriate
Providers will provide a spectacle
prescription or statement for each patient as required by the
regulations and additionally (if relevant) will deposit further
information with the home/carer, with the patients permission,
to summarise the outcomes of sight tests.
General
Providers are committed to providing high quality, personalised
and professional eyecare and optical services for housebound
patients
Business will be conducted
according to the statutory regulations currently in force,
the GOS Terms of Service and with regard to peer group guidance
All providers agree not to
supply concessionary optical services including sight testing
services, optometric products or other inducements to the
owners and staff of care homes
The competitive market is recognised
as a positive driver of quality and patient choice and companies
will not compete in ways that are inappropriate
Providers apply a non-discrimination policy towards all patients
in the supply of domiciliary services
Probity
Providers recognise the importance
of probity within the NHS and are committed to
employing rigorous audit processes to ensure eligibility for NHS funding
Complaints
Any complaints about providers
or allegations that a provider has fallen below the standards
set out in this code should be addressed, in the first instance,
to the provider, the relevant Primary Care Trust (PCT) or the
Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS). They can also be
raised in confidence with the Domiciliary Eyecare Committee
