OFRC vows to fight on

The Department of Health and the Optometric Fees Review Committee (OFRC) have announced a 2.5 per cent increase in GOS fees, giving a sight test fee of £19.32 backdated to April 1 2007.

Domiciliary fees are increased to £34.02 for each of the first and second patients seen at one visit and £8.52 for each of the third and subsequent patients seen at one visit. The CET allowance for 2007 is £447 (to be claimed in 2008 not backdated) and the 2007/8 pre-registration supervisors grant, up from £2,665 to £2,800.

Commenting on the announcement, Robin Banks, OFRC chairman, said that the committee was disappointed by the DoH's refusal to set a sight test fee which reflects its true costs to optometrists. 'The profession can be assured that we made a very strong case to the Department for an increase that reflected the real cost of providing the sight testing service, but once again they have been unwilling or unable to meet the profession's reasonable demands. After much negotiation, we did manage to achieve the small concession of some additional assistance, above the 2.5 per cent general increase, for pre-registration supervisors, but that does not compensate for a sight test fee that has to be subsidised by those who purchase spectacles and contact lenses.'