Chris Bennett: Optometry can sharpen ophthalmology’s edge

Verum’s analogy of a man sawing away with an increasingly blunt and ineffective blade but too busy to sharpen it encapsulates the situation facing eye care.

There’s always been a suspicion within optometry that ophthalmology is a little too protective of its patch, there was so much optometry could do to close the gap between primary and secondary care but the white coat brigade wanted to keep those skills and the funding. But could the squeeze on secondary care actually start working in favour of high street opticians?

Anyone dealing with the hospital eye service is aware of how stretched it is. Optometrists will know how little communication, even acknowledgement, they receive back on referrals. Industry suppliers will know how tight spending is, equipment is not being upgraded or even replaced. Users of the service will know how inefficient and ineffective it can be once referred.