Simon Jones: Lack of low vision

Optician receives plenty of practitioner correspondence, but there was one letter recently that caught my attention because the content highlighted just how difficult it can be to walk the line between first class patient care and corporate retail optometry. Some will believe there isn’t a distinction – but not optometrist Sharon Stirling.

Stirling explains that on March 1, 2021, she saw three visually impaired patients. Two required high reading adds, but all three needed illuminated stand magnifiers, which her employer didn’t stock. She had also been told previously not to carry out low vision assessments by her line manager because the company ‘didn’t have a contract’ to do so.