Measuring the way forward

As chief executive officer and dispensing optician at Hereford-based independent BBR Optometry, Nicholas Black has been working seven days a week since March to meet the ongoing challenges of providing eye care in the Covid-19 era. With the lockdown across the UK now substantially lifted to varying degrees and optical practices free to offer more than essential services, the goal posts have shifted towards incorporating increasing numbers of patients while maintaining safety.

‘Patient attendance has been increasing since the first week of June,’ says Black. ‘That was when many patients, who qualified as essential under the guidelines but had previously prioritised staying at home, began to come in for things like repairs and replacements. There was definitely a shift in public perception at that point.’