It has told the NHS that underfunding of NHS sight test fees is unsustainable
Optical practices in England have told the Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee (OFNC) that they were struggling to cope from pressures created by several issues.
Primary eye care practices said historic underfunding of NHS sight test fees and the fall in activity during Covid-19, which had not fully recovered, has caused problems.
In addition, the effects of the cost of living crisis on patient behaviour, soaring costs of wages and overheads driven by increases in inflation had exacerbated issues.
The OFNC highlighted these issues to NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, noting that relying spectacles sales to subsidise the cost of NHS sight tests was unsustainable.