AOP publishes annual report

Last year the Association of Optometrists dealt with 1,700 legal defence cases and took 1,200 calls to its legal helpline.

Figures in the optical body's annual report showed that 390 of the cases were opened, with 21 reaching a General Optical Council hearing.

A joint statement by the AOP's interim chief executive Richard Carswell and chairman David Shannon also highlighted some teething problems in the introduction of NHS reforms this month.

It said: 'The challenge is to meet our members' various and changing needs. Meanwhile the challenges facing many General Ophthalmic Services contractors in England in 2013 is to adapt successfully to the abolition of primary care trusts (PCTs) and the introduction of the NHS Commissioning Board.