Some months ago I was involved in a project in a care home in the south-west of London. Among the things we wanted to find out was the attitude of these elderly and largely well-educated people towards optometrists. The first point that clearly came across was that a majority had not yet heard of the term optometrist, though some were interested to equate it with the older description of ophthalmic optician. Nearly all, therefore, thought of ‘opticians’ as spectacle sales people. When asked about services for eye care, the majority relied on their GP, less so upon their pharmacist, and a significant few still went to the walk-in service at their local hospital for many minor eye ailments.
This tallies well with many studies, including that of Professor Darren Shickle presented at the College conference some years ago, suggesting that ‘fear of the sell’ and ‘previous experience,’ along with a lack of understanding of what was on offer regarding eye care in community optometry practice, was preventing elderly people from accessing eye care.
So why is the profile of optometry (and I think we have to suggest south of the border these days) and its various services beyond spectacle prescribing and selling still so poor? If the roll out of services to primary care is to proceed, surely people need to be told what is available.
I think part of my question was answered today when I was accosted by a man bearing a billboard sign shouting ‘Five pound glasses test here in the mall today.’ I did not know if this included a full retinal profile but I bet the glasses are a bargain.
