In Focus: Difficult decisions

The Association of Optometrists (AOP) said that in 2020, it was the only optical body to decrease its membership fees in order to support members during the pandemic. The fee decrease was 20% across all UK paying membership grades, which it highlighted was the equivalent of two monthly direct debit payments.

However, AOP membership fees for 2021 are being increased by just over £4 a month for all paying grades. Henrietta Alderman, chief executive of the AOP, said: ‘The difficult decision to increase fees was made by the AOP board in response to a hardening in the insurance market. Medical malpractice insurance for most professionals has seen this, and optometry has not been immune to it.