Simon Jones: Holding the can

The date when optical practices might be able to begin the process of picking themselves up off the floor is becoming something of a holy grail.

The green light for a return to routine eye testing in England is something many readers and businesses have asked about, but it seems to be some way off yet. Or is it?

Last week’s news that dentists could return to work will have caught the attention of many eye care professionals, but it caught the dental profession on the hop. An account from one dental practice said it had been given just 10 days’ notice of the reopening, but crucially it was still waiting for defined guidance on how it could operate and the exact PPE that would be required. Like many practices, it had given resources of PPE and oxygen to frontline NHS but replacing this was now a significant challenge for them.