Moneo: Thankless tasks

It is rare that I return to a previous column I have written and continue to comment, but I feel I cannot let recent events go by without engagement. I ended my March column of this year by suggesting that if the NHS was serious about engaging properly with optometry to deliver new eye care services, it should deliver a realistic sight test fee increase to indicate its willingness to engage. However, the announcement that this year would see only a paltry 2% increase signals that there is no serious intention there. Worse still, in his speech on March 8 to the Royal College of Physicians, Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid laid out his views for healthcare reform. There were some grand statements including why the NHS should focus on illness and disease prevention.