Specsavers has confirmed its UK partners will be able to choose from Nidek or Heidelberg Engineering optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems as part of a nationwide rollout.
Following what the multiple described as a rigorous selection process, the units selected were the Nidek Retina Scan and a Heidelberg Spectralis Spirit Specsavers edition. The Nidek unit will link with Navis software used by many of the multiple’s practices and users of the Heidelberg device will be able to upgrade to the full Spectralis platform.
Speaking to Optician earlier this month Specsavers founder Doug Perkins said the roll out of OCT was the next step on the journey to delivering Enhanced Optical Services. ‘To describe what the OCT is capable of is incredible. As a clinical instrument, in Moorfields or wherever, it is still being pioneered as to what this equipment can actually do,’ said Perkins.
When asked about the selection of suppliers he said: ‘There is a choice, it’s not a prescriptive choice, it’s practitioner lead, they have all the information they need but obviously consistency is going to be an advantage on this journey particularly with storing images.’ He stressed the roll out was not just about buying the kit. ‘It’s about training and storage, so images can be easily retrieved, and general data security.’