Comment: Twelve angry men

Henry Fonda managed to argue his case and change the minds of his eleven fellow jurors in Lumet's classic 1957 court house thriller and optics had its own stand off over GOC fees last week.

Unfortunately Fonda's feat was not repeated in the equally stifling atmosphere of the council chamber in the GOC's Harley Street HQ where little common ground could be found on the issue of differential fees for optometrists and dispensing opticians (see news).

All at the table were in agreement that the two professions work hand in hand and that nothing should be done to drive a wedge between them or reduce the incentive for DOs to remain registered. But different levels of fee proved an intractable issue with those on both sides often citing the same issues, such as division between the professions, to support opposing arguments. The response from the bodies in the wake of the announcement will prove how genuine that desire for unity is.