Research published by the General Optical Council this week (see 7 Days) on current and future levels of risk posed by patients is making for very interesting reading. I haven’t made it through all 171 pages, but I will, ahead of next week’s In Focus.
What really stood out to me were the concerns over commercial pressure and time constraints causing additional risk – for the practitioner in their workplace and patients in general. In most retail businesses, targets and some sort of pressure to meet them, is par for the course. Retail optics is unique in that it walks a fine line between healthcare and retail and it’s a line that must be negotiated very carefully.
As the industry saw with the Channel 4 Supershoppers ‘expose’ recently, the reputation of the profession is something that needs to be handled with kid gloves. A practitioner feeling pressured to make a sale may well dispense a pair of glasses that the patient doesn’t really need. If that patient feels aggrieved, the practice can rectify the matter instantly and the health risk is to the patient low. Repairing the broken trust that patient may have developed in the profession could be an open-ended project.
The report also highlights that increased clinical scope of practice for practitioners could lead to a higher risk profile for the professions in the future. A perfectly valid concern. However, this is set against the backdrop of a profession that is seemingly becoming more concerned about commercial pressures and time restraints, but also worries about lack of skills and training for the enhanced services in question.
As the optical professions and associated risks change, so too will the education and training methods in place. The issue of commercial influence and pressure shaping the outlook of education in the sector is one that needs to be carefully considered by all stakeholders.
