London optometrist, honorary life member of the Association of Optometrists and past chairman, Nigel Burnett Hodd, has written to the DVLA expressing his dismay at the award of the DVLA testing contract to Specsavers.
In response to a letter from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency advising former providers of services under the Vision Testing Services contract of new arrangements, Burnett Hodd described the move as a 'betrayal'.
The DVLA confirmed in a letter to Burnett Hodd dated May that the contract had been awarded to Specsavers Optical Superstores (Specsavers) and would commence from June 30. It went on to request that referrals be processed as normal for a short period after that date. 'We would like to thank you for the excellent service you have provided both to individual citizens... and the DVLA as a client, and your continued support and service up until the start of the new contract with Specsavers is greatly appreciated,' it continued.
In a strongly-worded letter addressed to: 'Dear Faceless & Stupid Bureaucrat', Burnett Hodd suggested the contract could result in less satisfactory care for patients. He explained that his practice spent a 'sympathetic 30-minutes or so' with patients assessing visual acuity and conducting Estermann tests. These tests or a complete re-examination are sometimes repeated, he wrote.
'It is my opinion and that of all the optometrists who have done this service for people at a non-economic fee that to give the responsibility to Specsavers is... a disservice to the public and a betrayal to the team of professionals who have given such excellent, caring service for so many years.'
