Moneo writes: We need to radically restructure the way eye healthcare is delivered in this country

What has happened to the profession of optometry? My colleague Verum last week, in response to the latest imposition of a wholly inadequate NHS sight test fee increase, made some very interesting observations that can only lead to some very disturbing conclusions. If what Verum says is true, and I have no reason to doubt anything that was asserted in the column, then there can be no denying that optometry has ceased, as its primary function, to be a healthcare profession and has become an overtly retail trade.

Over the years it has become increasingly apparent that many new retailers have formed or come to the optics trough because they see high retail profits available. Second place in all of this comes the service user. Many shops are prepared to use the healthcare aspect of their role as a loss leader to entice those they call their customers through their doors to sell them goods. The thought of healthcare is the last thing that rules their raison d’etre. Staff in many outlets are incentivised by sales targets, conversion ratios, bonuses on turnover, bonuses on average sales prices but never on healthcare outcomes. These are retail traders masquerading as healthcare outlets. Daily we see advertising on television some of which is, at best, misleading, all enticing people to visit optical shops to buy goods. There is little or no healthcare message and often when there is it makes claims that are misleading.