Verum writes: Embracing change

Throughout the years I have been involved in the optical industry there have been frequent times when the future for both optical professionals and optical practices as we know them did not look prosperous.

I can just about remember back to the early eighties when the dispensing of spectacles was deregulated, followed not long afterwards by the end of the NHS sight test being free to all. Fast forward to the nineties and noughties and we saw the advent of the internet that brought about selling of contact lenses and spectacles direct to the customer.

The numbers of registered optometrists has steadily increased and compared to 20 years ago we now have well over double the number of graduates each year. Most recently, new technology has emerged that potentially deskills the professional role as it is able to produce a prescription and check the health of the eye without human intervention.