Simon Jones: DO the right thing

That NHS England and the Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee (OFNC) were miles apart in their proposals (7 Days) for post-pandemic funding won’t be a surprise but it should be the catalyst for a change in attitude towards dispensing opticians.

For too long, there has been an undercurrent of sneering in some quarters of the profession about the skill and standing of dispensing opticians – even their own membership body did them something of a disservice with the ‘Not just a DO’ communications campaign which played into old stigmas and outdated views.

Quality dispensing opticians will be a lifeline in the coming months and years because they drive revenue – something that will be crucial in the post-pandemic era. Even the most clinically focused practices will need those high value dispenses to shore up bottom lines.