Welsh Optometric Committee: terms of reference and constitution

1.1 The name of the committee shall be the Welsh Optometric Committee. 

2.1. To advise the Welsh Ministers on the provision of services by optometrists, dispensing opticians and contact lens opticians, and perform such other function as may be prescribed. 

2.2. To provide expert professional advice to Welsh Ministers and Welsh Government officials on all matters relating to the eye health care in Wales; in particular, this includes, but is not limited to, health service policy, delivery and workforce issues. 

2.3. To agree and implement an annual Forward Work Plan, which reflects the priorities of the Welsh Ministers, the lead official for the Welsh Government, the Chief Executive of the NHS Wales, and through the Chairperson of the Committee, the view of the Committee membership. 

2.4. To bring to the attention of the lead official at the Welsh Government, and if necessary either the Chief Executive of the NHS or the Minister for Health and Social Services, issues of concern relating to the health of the people of Wales as influenced by the role of the optometric profession. 

2.5. To facilitate the circulation of knowledge and best practice pertaining to optometry across Wales; in addition to supplementing the communication of related issues between the Welsh Government and health professionals. 

2.6. To coordinate and oversee the work and membership of any sub-Committees or Advisory Groups set up or adopted by the Welsh Optometric Committee. 

2.7. To advise the Welsh Government on nominations, if so sought by the Welsh Ministers or Lead Official, for appointing health professionals within the professional remit of the Committee to posts or groups controlled by the Welsh Government. 

2.8. To support development of All Wales Policies, advice to promote best practice across professions and the standardisation of practice to reduce waste, harm and variation. 

3.1. All members of the Committee must hold appropriate current professional qualifications and be working within Wales in a professional role relevant to the objectives of the Committee.

3.2. Each member of the Committee must comply with the Welsh Government’s Code of Practice for Sponsored Bodies and provide the Secretariat with a signed and completed Register of Interest form. 

3.3. In making nominations, Nominating Bodies should ensure that all parts of their function are represented on a Pan-Wales basis. The Committee will have regard to this when accepting membership nominations. 

3.4. Voting members

The committee shall consist of the following:

3.4.1 The Chairperson 

3.4.2 Members from the following 4 Nominating Bodies: 

• from the North Wales Regional Optometric Committee, 2 optometrists and 1 dispensing optician or contact lens optician
• from the Southwest Wales Regional Optometric Committee, 2 optometrists and 1 dispensing optician or contact lens optician
• from the Southeast Wales Regional Optometric Committee, 2 optometrists and 1 dispensing optician or contact lens optician
• a representative of hospital optometry, nominated from the CIN’s Hospital Optometrists Sub-Group, who works in NHS secondary care.

Members must act in the interests of the Committee and not in the interests of their Nominating Body.

3.5. Non-Voting members (observers)

The committee shall also consist of the following members, who shall not be entitled to vote at meetings of the committee:

• the head of Optometry at Health Education and Improvement Wales,
• the Head of School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, or the Director of Learning and Teaching for the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences,
• the national clinical lead for ophthalmology in Wales (NHS Performance and Improvement),
• a WGOS national clinical lead nominated from NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP),
• a Primary Care Optometric Advisor, nominated from NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP),
• the Chief Executive of Optometry Wales,
• a representative of the College of Optometrists,
• llywydd of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in Wales,
• a representative of the General Optical Council

All voting members and observers shall be entitled to send a nominated deputy should they not be able to attend, giving prior notice to the Chairperson and secretariat.

3.6. Representatives from the Welsh Government as outlined in section 4. 

4.1. The Chief Optometric Adviser, the Head of Eye Care Policy for the Welsh Government, and the Secretariat of the Welsh Optometric Committee, or their representatives, may attend all meetings of the Committee are entitled to receive all documents and papers the members of the committees would usually receive and may propose items for discussion and advice (but shall not be entitled to vote). 

4.2. The Chief Optometric Adviser, the Head of Eye Care Policy for the Welsh Government, and the Secretariat of the Welsh Optometric Committee, or their representatives, may attend all sub-committees and groups sponsored by the committee, are entitled to receive all documents and papers the members of the sub-committees or groups would usually receive and may propose items for discussion and advice (but shall not be entitled to vote).

4.3. The Chief Optometric Adviser or their representative may seek advice by directly contacting the Chairperson of the Committee. In these circumstances the Chairperson should consult with other members out of committee as appropriate and would brief the committee at the subsequent meeting. 

4.4. The Welsh Government shall provide secretariat support for ordinary committee meetings. 

4.5. The Chief Optometric Advisor shall be the principal point of contact for the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and members in relation to the Remit of the Committee; however, for administration of the committee, the secretariat shall be the first point of contact. 

4.6. The Secretariat shall arrange meetings, provide a meeting room, prepare and circulate papers, brief the Chairperson in writing or in person on the delivery of the committee meeting, prepare a minute of the meeting and issue the finalised minutes to the committee. 

4.7. Committee members may circulate the meeting minutes outside of the committee, to promote transparency, except in cases involving sensitive or embargoed items.

4.8. The Secretariat shall maintain the Committee Constitution, Forward Work Programme, Membership list, Register of Interests, and record of expenses. It shall also facilitate an annual meeting between the Chairperson and the Minister for Health and Social Services, and if necessary, a further meeting between the Chairperson and the Chief Executive of the NHS Wales.

5.1. In the event of any voting or non-voting member being unable to attend, the members should arrange (after consultation with the chairperson) for a deputy from the relevant nominating body to attend, who would have the status and voting powers of the absent member. 

5.2. The member must inform the secretariat at the earliest practicable time and is responsible for fully briefing their deputy in advance of the committee meeting. 

5.3. Should a deputy not be available to attend, the nominating body should provide a written update, to be tabled at the meeting, outlining any developments relating to any items on the agenda. 

5.4. The term of appointment of a deputy shall be at the discretion of the chairperson but shall not be longer than the duration of the original member’s absence or until the nominating body appoints a replacement. 

6.1. Voting members shall be appointed to the Committee for a term of 4 years, subject to satisfactory attendance and continued membership of their respective nominating body.

6.2. A voting member, whose maximum term on the committee has elapsed but for whom no replacement member is immediately available, may be co-opted for an interim, their additional term being agreed by the Welsh Government Official and chairperson, and the time co-opted be considered in respect to 6.3.

6.3. Voting members who have reached their maximum term on the committee will be eligible for further re-nomination to the committee after a gap equal to 1 term of office.

6.4. Non-voting members shall be appointed to the committee subject to satisfactory attendance and continuation in their relevant substantive appointment.

6.5. Additional members can apply and be co-opted onto the committee as required to complete specific pieces of work, with their term of office to be agreed by the lead Welsh Government official, and chairperson. 

6.6. When a member has been absent from 2 consecutive ordinary meetings without reason or alternative representation being agreed with the chairperson, the chairperson shall have the right to declare the seat has been vacated and should seek nominations to fill vacant seats.

6.7. Members may, at any time, resign from membership by giving notice in writing to the chairperson.

6.8. Vacancies occurring during a financial year may be co-opted to, for the remainder of the financial year, at the chairperson's discretion whilst an appropriate representative is appointed.

7.1. Members shall elect a chairperson and vice chairperson from the committee’s voting membership. 

7.2. The chairperson and vice chairperson constitute the Committee ‘Officers’. A member who is elected chair will have their term reset (to serve 4 years as chairperson). The vice chairperson’s term does not reset (finishing the term in which they were elected vice chairperson).

7.3. The election of the officers shall be conducted by a ballot, either at a committee meeting or electronically via the secretariat.

7.4. The posts of chairperson and vice chairperson shall usually be held by voting members from different nominating bodies. A nominating body is entitled to nominate to the committee another voting member for the relevant period, if a nominee has been elected by the committee as the chairperson.

7.5.  The vice-chairperson retains their status to be representative of their nominating body, only vacating temporarily should the chairperson be absent and they must fill this role.

7.6. While in post, the chairperson and vice-chairperson are responsible for setting the style and tone of committee discussions and creating the overall conditions for the committee to achieve its stated aims and objectives, as set out in this constitution. The chairperson shall not advocate on behalf of any group or body and shall demonstrate ethical leadership in integrity and probity in line with the Nolan Principles. The chairperson will ensure all members act in the interests of the committee’s purpose, not in the interests of any particular speciality, business, or nominating body.

7.7. If no voting member has been nominated to succeed an outgoing chairperson, then the vice chairperson and Welsh Government’s Chief Optometric Advisor shall work together to make such arrangements as necessary in order to bring forward a suitable candidate to act as the chairperson. 

7.8. A chairperson or vice chairperson may resign their chair-ship by providing notice in writing to the Chief Optometric Advisor. If the nominating body, who whom the chair reverts to be a representative of, then becomes over-represented, the nominating body must determine who continues as the representing member. 

7.9. A chairperson or vice chairperson ceases to be a member of the committee and shall give up their office if they are no longer a member of their nominating body, die, or fail to attend 2 consecutive meetings without a compelling reason. 

7.10. The vice chairperson shall assume all the chairperson’s responsibilities and powers should the chairperson not be available through resignation, absence, illness, or death, this shall be for not longer than 2 consecutive ordinary meetings, by which point the committee must elect a replacement. 

8.1. The committee should normally hold not less than 3 meetings each financial year, to be scheduled annually by the secretariat and approved by the chairperson, with variance subject to agreement by the Chief Optometric Adviser. 

8.2. A quorum for meeting shall be one third of voting members with the proceedings of the committee not being invalidated by any vacancies in membership. 

8.3. Decisions by the committee should normally be achieved by consensus. If voting is necessary and votes are equal, the chairperson shall have a deciding vote.

8.4. The committee may hold an annual general meeting or symposium support the delivery of the committee’s aims and objectives, as set out in this constitution. 

8.5. The committee shall incur no more than the minimum necessary expenses to enable it to fulfil its objectives. Any expenses must be explicitly linked to the work of the committee, and the committee must seek the prior consent of the Welsh Ministers, via the secretariat, before incurring any costs. Payment shall not be made for hire of meeting rooms; the Welsh Government has accommodation across Wales which it is prepared to make available at no charge.

8.6. Payment of travel and subsistence to members shall be at the discretion of the Welsh Government and payment for attendance at meetings held by partners and stakeholder groups shall only be considered where the chairperson and Welsh Government agree committee attendance adds value.

8.7. The Welsh Government shall not be responsible for payments relating to overnight accommodation, attendance at meetings other than the scheduled meetings of the committee, or hospitality unless approval has been received via the secretariat in writing prior to the expense being incurred and all appropriate documentation is received with the claim. 

8.8. All expenses incurred should be wholly in relation to the delivery of the committees agreed aims and objectives, as set out in this constitution. 

9.1. The committee may form subgroups or sponsor existing groups, with the agreement of the chairperson and of the lead Welsh Government official, as required to support the delivery of the committee’s agreed aims and objectives, as set out in this constitution.

9.2. The chairperson shall represent the committee at the National Joint Professional Advisory Committee or its equivalent.

9.3. The chairperson may designate specific members to undertake tasks or to lead any subgroups; other than for the subgroup’s chairperson, subgroups do not need to be made up of committee members.

9.4. The chairperson or their deputy shall represent the committee at any necessary meetings or events, for example: attendance at other statutory Advisory Committees or meetings with the Welsh Government, the Cabinet Secretariat or the Chief Executive of the NHS as needed to support the delivery of the committee’s agreed aims and objectives, as set out in this constitution.

9.5. Members may take no executive action or act as representatives of the committee without the authority of the chairperson.

10.1. This constitution shall be reviewed no less frequently than every 4 years.   

10.2. Recommendations to amend the constitution may be proposed by voting members, non-voting members, the chairperson, or the Welsh Government lead official at any time. Acceptance of amendments is by vote of voting members.

10.3. The chairperson should consult the Chief Optometric Adviser on proposed amendments to the constitution before any changes are approved.

10.4. Amendments to the constitution will be treated as approved once two-thirds of the total voting members have voted in favour in a ballot which, at the discretion of the chairperson, may be conducted at a committee meeting or electronically via the secretariat.