Shortage of GOS data hits public eye health

Optometry is in a mess from a public health perspective with high levels of preventable eye disease stemming from a poor patient image of the profession and a lack of optometric involvement in health structures.

This position for optometry has not been helped by the adversarial approach of optical negotiators, a lack of GOS data and no career structure for optometrists to represent optics within wider health bodies, delegates heard at the National Optometric Conference last week.

A presentation by the UK's deputy chief dental officer, Dr Sue Gregory, on public health described the importance of reaching out between professions to secure a voice on wider healthcare. She said that the Department of Health looked for an outcome focus for health planning and expected vision, aims and an evidence base when funding and policy change was being sought.