I had a conversation recently with an old friend and colleague about changes in Wales General Ophthalmic Services (WGOS) remuneration, which was closely followed by a discussion about my take on antipathies and rivalries between independent and multiple practices, and online suppliers. The bare bones of which I mentally banked to share with you today.
Firstly, my friend was surprised to learn that WGOS has made it more possible than ever for a small practice to survive on clinical fees alone in Wales. While this sounds like a fairy tale, this has been possible in some way for a little while now. In fact, there is a lovely optometrist fairly local to me who has owned a clinical-only practice for some time now.
So, even though our new contract in Wales is only in its early stages (we still have WGOS 4 and 5 to see in action), it really is an exciting time for clinicians and practices who want to shift their balance towards clinical services.
I hope to see similar happen in the rest of the UK because for practices like mine, which is now within walking distance of a large multiple, WGOS has made us far less reliant on voucher sales. In my opinion, it is also protecting us from the growing prevalence of online suppliers.
Of course, we have a range of products to suit all budgets, but having a large multiple just down the road that does two for one frames and offers more choice for free with a voucher (not to mention online suppliers offering deals) has always allowed us to concentrate elsewhere. For instance, we can comfortably run a very calm 45-minute clinic and stock unusual, higher end and bespoke eyewear while charging appropriately for such luxuries.
Patients know what they’re going to get in both settings, so they can choose appropriately based on their needs. If someone’s main priority is getting as much as possible for as little as possible, or if they’re set on that two for one deal, they can get that elsewhere, which frees my time up for someone whose main priority is, for example, some amazing eyewear that they won’t see anyone else wearing.
If one of our patients needs to take advantage of an offer that we can’t match, I am glad that the multiple is there to take that on. We have also had an influx of patients from the local multiple who now want their eye care delivered differently – in the more relaxed and personal manner that only a small independent can.
Far from resenting the multiples, at the moment my practice’s relationship with the one down the road is a symbiotic one with everyone getting what they need. I get to spend my days doing what I love – which is fantastic, fun dispenses and taking pictures for social media of patients happily collecting heart shaped, or asymmetric, or neon, or otherwise wonderfully unusual frames. Patients simply won’t find frames of this nature and quality in a large multiple practice or an online deal.
Speaking of symbiotic relationships in optical businesses, I will finish this month’s column with a shout out to the online contact lens suppliers which, as a small practice owner, I’ve always zealously disliked for several obvious reasons, yet now I find myself happy they exist.
I grew bored of the frustration of them providing the same lenses at prices that sometimes we can’t even get when we buy them in, never mind the manufacturers taking up to a week to get orders to us when online suppliers can take an order on Monday evening and the patient can have them come through their letterbox on Tuesday morning.
So, whereas we’ve never tried to compete with online prices, over the last year I have gone further by increasing our contact lens prices while actively encouraging adult patients to buy their contact lenses online. I wish we’d done it years ago and, in some cases, I’ve even shown patients how to order their lenses online.
Whereas many of our contact lens wearers have chosen to still purchase from us, some have switched to ordering online, which has reduced my admin workload, freeing up my time to do what I love, which just so happens to have a much better profit margin than contact lenses. The patients who now choose to buy online have been really appreciative and as long as they are paying appropriately for clinical time spent doing their aftercare checks, I’m happy.
The patients who still buy from us pay an amount that reflects the service they receive. Surely if we’re all doing what we do best, the patients win and so do we.
- Francesca Blackmore is owner and practice manager of Pearce & Blackmore Opticians in the Cardiff area.