GOC takes the flak for retention fee increase

Responding to the General Optical Council's decision to raise its retention fee from £219 to £325 for optometrists and £280 for dispensing opticians (see page 8), several optical bodies have heavily criticised the increase.

Commenting on the proposed increases ABDO president Barry Duncan said: 'Members will be bitterly disappointed at this level of increase.'

Although acknowledging how a previous lack of investment had led to the current situation, the Association of Optometrists' chief executive Bob Hughes commented: 'However understanding we might be of the predicament they're in, they've now had two years to get out of that predicament with two enormous rises.'

Warning that 'a third rise would indicate that they have no capacity to control their own expenditure or activities' Hughes added that such action by the GOC next year would 'bring into question their future existence'.