High street optical retailers are missing the opportunity to gain more patients by not joining in with the Road Safety Week campaign.
According to the Optical Confederation, many in the sector are not reaching the public with the message that drivers need a full vision assessment before taking the wheel.
Road Safety Week 2015, held late last month, attracted sponsorship and endorsement from Vision Express and Specsavers, but Optical Confederation chair Chris Hunt was concerned for the sector at large and called for stronger messaging next year.
He said: ‘If any single group of clinicians knows about the importance of having properly assessed vision as a pre-requisite for driving on our roads, it has to be community opticians. Yet, as a sector, we are not getting this across to the public and seem to be missing out on the major road safety events which could help us do that.’
He recognised that two of the major retailers [Specsavers and Vision Express] had aligned themselves to the campaign by [charity] Brake during Road Safety Week but asked: ‘How much better would it be if all practices and practitioners highlighted this issue in their promotional materials, windows and consultations?’
He added: ‘Some of the professional and membership bodies have issued press releases but this is only preaching to ourselves and serves as an excellent example of where the sector lets itself down.’
The sector must ‘do better’ if it wanted the government and the public to take it more seriously, he said.
Disclosure concerns
The need to comment on improved campaigning throughout the optical sector came amid news of draft guidance by the General Medical Council (GMC) on disclosing concerns about patients to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (see page 5).
Its guidance informed doctors that personal information may be disclosed in the public interest, without patients’ consent ‘if the benefits to an individual or to society of the disclosure outweigh both the public and the patient’s interest in keeping the information confidential’.
The draft guidance, under consultation until February 10 next year, added that if a medical practitioner could not persuade a patient who was deemed unfit to drive from doing so, they should contact the DVLA immediately and disclose any relevant medical information in confidence.
The Optical Confederation has already told the House of Commons Transport Select Committee that the current number plate test is inadequate and that drivers should be re-tested before reaching the age of 70.
Subsequently, the confederation has called for a requirement for drivers to have their licences renewed at least every 10 years and all road traffic accident reports to include whether poor vision was a factor.
Hunt said: ‘This is something the Optical Confederation is determined to tackle. At our Leaders Group meeting this week everyone was committed to this.’
He said that next year there would be ‘better organised’ campaigns – linked to national events such as Road Safety, Healthy Ageing and National Diabetes Week – and better support for high street practitioners in getting the confederation’s vision correction and eye health messages across.
Nevertheless, standout campaigns around the UK and co-ordinated efforts by Specsavers and Vision Express have provided a springboard for the profession to boost its profile.
Indeed, Specsavers was the main sponsor of Road Safety Week from November 23-29, working with Brake to conduct research (News 27.11.15) and donating thousands of high-visibility jackets to schools.
Crash figures
Vision Express, meanwhile, joined forces with the Road Haulage Association for Road Safety Week to deliver its own research showing that crashes caused by poor driver vision result in an estimated 2,900 casualties a year at a cost of £33m to the taxpayer. As part of the campaign, Vision Express used its Vision Van at key locations to encourage drivers to have a free eye check.
Although these retailers have each pushed the importance of drivers’ vision, the Optical Confederation clearly wants a much more concerted effort from the whole sector and has vowed to help optics increase its visibility when the campaign lights next switch to green.
