Simon Jones: Rolling with the punches

The ebb and flow of the industry this year has been inspiring, but also fascinating to watch.

Resilience from optometrists and dispensing opticians in the first lockdown was there for all to see and most, if not all, of the practices that remained open for urgent patient needs have a few remarkable stories to tell.

All this work was undertaken with a certain level of risk attached to it – epidemiological and financial. Despite PPE and social distancing measures put in place, practitioners put their own health on the line for the sake of their patients. And, they did so without a clear picture of how they would be remunerated for their efforts.