Talking the talk

I am becoming increasingly impressed by people's patience. The Optical Confederation's Conference yesterday featured a host of information.

Alongside the usual AGM there were speakers from the GOC, the European optical body, ECOO, and most notably the Under Secretary of State for Health, Lord Howe. The highlight for me was a Question Time event where all of the chairman and presidents from the optical bodies put themselves up for questioning by the audience.

Inevitably across the whole afternoon the same themes cropped up; the standing of the profession, education of patients, cross-subsidy of products and professional care. It would be naive to think answers could be found for these long standing issues there and then but it is a desperately frustrating process to hear the problems so often but see solutions so seldom.