DoH freezes test fee for England and Wales

The Department of Health has frozen the GOS sight test fee at £20.70 until March 2012. However, the CET payment and grant for supervision of pre-registration trainees have been increased by 5 per cent.

Michael Bateman, chairman of the OFRC negotiating committee said: 'We made clear in the strongest possible terms that the proposed freeze was unacceptable to the profession, especially at a time of rising domestic inflation which is pushing up practice running costs and international inflation which is increasing the cost of spectacles and lenses. These are significant pressures on the profession and freezing the sight test fee will have a real impact on the optical front line and on the ability of the profession to deliver the sight testing service.'