In Focus: Patient complaints in the post-Covid era

Covid-19 has had a profound effect on the way optometric practices operate but it has also altered the expectations of patients. New data presented by the Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS) in its annual report showed the volume of complaints made to the specialist optical legal firm increased by 21.5% during the period of April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022.

However, the pandemic has caused fluctuations in the volume of complaints. In the period covering 2018-19, the OCCS fielded a total of 1,493 enquiries from patients. In the following period to March 31, 2020, which included a handful of days in the first lockdown, the figure increased to 1,611. A 12% fall in complaints was recorded during the period ending March 31, 2021, but at the time (In Focus 29.07.21), the OCCS pointed towards NHS GOS data and made an estimate that the overall number of eye examinations between April and June 2020 was less than 10% of the same period in the previous year. Overall, the OCCS’s analysis of the eye exam and dispensing data at the time indicated a 20% increase in the number of complaint referrals it received.