Moneo writes: Barker report seems to be more of the same

September 4 saw the release of the Barker report on the future health and social care. What does this report mean for optometry? At a first glance it would appear that there is not a lot in it to concern us. However I would suggest this is not the case. As we all know, the NHS is severely cash strapped and facing a bleak future. The funding gap is set to widen exponentially over the coming years. It therefore comes as no surprise that there are suggestions as to how to come by more money in the future. Two of the main recommendations are that those aged over 40 should pay an additional 1 per cent national insurance contribution and those earning over £42,000 should also pay an extra 1 per cent. So that leaves most people reading this at least 1 per cent worse off and many 2 per cent worse of if the idea is adopted. There will no doubt be a knock-on on employer’s contributions, also making things even worse for some.