AOP increases surplus after year of change

The Association of Optometrists (AOP) has reported 12 per cent growth in its annual financial surplus for 2014 as membership income jumped by £207,000.

Group operating surplus for the year ending December 31 2014 was £753,408, compared to a surplus of £674,239 in 2013, attributed to cost-savings and targeted investments.

Its membership grew by 5 per cent to reach 16,000 members altogether, while the optical body opened 3,150 new legal files during the year, an increase of more than 40 per cent from 2013.

The AOP said healthcare was again dominated by the after-effects of the abolition of Primary Care Trusts and their replacement by NHS England and their Area Teams last year. Its regulatory team reported spending a considerable amount of time dealing with member enquiries amid area teams’ lack of understanding of the regulations, while problems arose with applications to join the performers list.