Comment: Lack of reaction is deflating

A deafening silence greeted the news earlier this month that Tesco is to offer free eye examinations to those who don't already qualify for an NHS funded test (05.03.10). It beggars belief that optometry, a profession that funds so many PRs, lobbyists and association spin doctors, hasn't come up with a concerted message on this issue. The national media quoted the RNIB in its support of Tesco while optometry remained silent.

The significance of such a move shouldn't be underestimated. It is interesting that this week (see news) that the Office of National Statistics has dropped the sight test fee from the basket of products used to calculate inflation. This is justified on the basis that the sight test fee is so often waived. To his credit, Bob Hughes the AOP's chief executive, who, as a member of the Conservative government that scrapped universal free sight tests in 1988 should know something about it, used the comment section of his magazine to accuse Tesco of 'stomach churning hypocrisy'. He suggested that Tesco should stop claiming public money for sight tests as it was claiming to be replacing NHS tests with free ones.