Verum writes: Advances in diagnostic technology open up possibilities for new services and revenue

In recent years there has been a steady increase in the technology available to optometrists. Equipment such as retinal cameras, ocular coherence tomography and automated perimetry have been driven by advances in imaging, sophisticated computerisation and complex algorithms, meaning that they can take measurements and use these to identify variation from a normal database and trends over time. In many optical practices this technology has become part of the eye examination and no doubt enhances the ability of the practitioner to identify and diagnose eye disease.

Given the investment required for this technology, and the ability it has to investigate and monitor eye conditions, it is perhaps surprising that there are few examples where patients can pay privately for practitioners to use the equipment away from the normal eye examination. There are examples where the NHS pays for monitoring of conditions in optical practice, but what is to stop an enterprising practice offering private screening or monitoring of disease? It is easy to envisage a patient who is at risk of, or suffering from conditions such as age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma, having difficulty with availability of appointments at their local hospital, and finding travel to the hospital difficult. They may want something which is easier to access. It is also easy to imagine a patient who is concerned about their family history of a specific eye disease or general health condition and would like screening over and above what is on offer through the NHS. This may be available through private healthcare companies; however it is unlikely that a private healthcare company will have invested in equipment that is so specific. Hence it should be possible to offer a private service aimed at specific ocular conditions.