Moneo’s outburst regarding ‘moral stand against this misuse of NHS money’ should be directed against those who malpractice and give a bad name to the so-called profession. Tempting advertisement to sell two pairs of glasses for the price of one on hand and dazzling the public with the latest instruments to examine eyes on the other, has been a con trick to lure the public for something cheap and highly clinical. What a joke that has been, courtesy the journals that give these sharks a platform to shout from. I leave you to guess who I mean.
We, the profession, are vital experts, not a business or pseudo-medics. The journals are full of promotions under both these categories. Money for them is 20/20 success. Those who have non-commercial practices do not have a hope in hell to promote their skills or science in the interest of the patients. Commercial practitioners have interest in their bank balances only.
Optometry has become free for all to do what they like after those qualifications are neatly hung on the wall with licence to practise. The only requirements being the collection of those useless CET points that can be gained by any lay person. The whole profession needs to be shaken all the way from the universities to the universal code of practice. It is a matter of great sadness for me (and I am not alone) that having worked non-commercially, wanting to change the greedy side of the profession for years, the gap between ‘them’ and ‘us’ has widened. It is not a case of what the NHS has lost financially but what we as the profession have, in dignity.
Dr K Vadgama
London