Moneo writes: Is British optometry turning its back on refraction?

Optrafair is over for another year. Whatever may be said about whether attendances were up or down on previous years there can be no denying that these events do attract a lot of people.

Whilst many major exhibitors were conspicuous by their absence those that were there sent a very clear message for the future. It is clear that, given the annual abject failure of the OFNC to make progress with NHS fees, the equipment manufacturers were out in force again.

I was speaking to overseas optometrists at one point who were saying that it seems as if British optometry is moving away from refraction and into an ever more clinically diagnostic role. Indeed there are some who would now appear to be leading the charge to bail out the secondary NHS sector by finding a new role for optometry in the clinical arena.