A reply to Sandip Doshi and Bryony Pawinska's letters

Bryony Pawinska's letter about Professional approach to charging for eyecare, in reply to Sandip Doshi's letter about Where do we stand on eyecare, advises that while opticians must be honest in their financial and commercial dealings with patients and other organisations (D23), the GOS regulations and NHS guidance cover when a GOS fee can be claimed.

While there is no relationship between claiming the NHS eye examination fee and an optometrist’s private examination charges, I argue that opticians should satisfy both GOS regulations and the professional bodies’ guidelines at the same time.  I do not see how it is possible for it to be in keeping with the spirit of D23 to claim the full NHS fee when at the same time optometrists are happy to charge either less or nothing at all to perform a private eye examination!  Indeed, how can it possibly be ethical to offer a discount to a private patient for an eye test, but under the NHS the optometrist will charge the government £21.10?