Valuing professional time, optometry's voice in health politics and securing proper funding from the government summarise the key issues facing the profession in the last few years.
A number of issues have suddenly come to prominence whose outcome will shape the profession of the future.
The publication of findings from a Plymouth study (see news 05.11.10) into the rash of false referrals produced by optometrists using non-contact tonometry puts the profession in a difficult place. The accusation is that optometry is wasting NHS funds. The profession needs to respond quickly and positively. There are referral schemes which allow optometry to save the NHS money but it is up to optometry to get the message across, the NHS will not come calling. This coincides with a survey by the Local Optometric Committee Support Unit (see news) that suggests LOCs aren't in tune with their local GPs and commissioning groups.
Add to this the clinical arms race building between the multiples (see news). Plans to offer free fundus photography in the high street will strike a chord with the public. But what does it say about the argument that the eye exam is underfunded?
The good news is that the College of Optometrists (see news) is jointly hosting a summit on glaucoma with the ophthalmologists to feed into NICE's plans for future standards. This is the kind of forum in which optometry can get its messages across.