Simon Jones: Business as unusual

The polarised spectrum of practitioner views on pandemic issues such as vaccines and face masks is something that will stay with me for a long time. The sector really came together early in the pandemic, but it wasn’t long before members of the profession were going out of their way to question everything: regulator actions; government decisions; efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines and mandatory vaccinations. There were times in 2020 where the profession was as fractious as I had ever seen it during more than a decade on this journal.

The College’s proposed move to green phase early this month represents an opportunity for a fresh start. The College is quick to point out that the start of the green phase doesn’t mean a return to business and practice as it was before the pandemic. Instead, adapting to the ‘new normal’ will be the focus for optometry practices up and down the home nations.