At last, an article in the press that makes me happy.

All too often when I read the papers I feel sorry for health care professionals. Not just Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians, but for Doctors, Dentists, Nurses, Physiotherapists and the other professionals allied to health.

Why? Well, for most of us, we are asked to do more work each year for less reward. Not only that, Health care professionals are the first to be scrutinised when things go wrong, but rarely do we hear the praise for all the positive outcomes. And unfortunately, it is normally the professionals who are not fully funded by the NHS who get criticised most. Dentists are also attacked for high professional fee’s along with Opticians. Can you remember the last time Accountants and Solicitors were in the press for the fees they charge clients? Not only do you pay professionals for their expertise but also to fund the expensive equipment needed to perform the job. Sometimes I wonder if it is felt all the diagnostic equipment in a medical consulting room is bought by the magic fairies!

Well, Sunday restored some faith in Journalists. I read this article in the Times regarding eye examinations and supplementary tests.

Immediately it states what an eye examination is about, yes, we obviously look for refractive problems that are corrected with spectacles, but it also stated some of the more general health conditions that are looked for.

Whilst pointing out that the supplementary tests were charged for, it clearly states that the author felt “better for the reassurance” for knowing the eyes are healthy and no general health problems could be detected. I feel care is needed when covering general health conditions. It is true Optometrists can detect hypertension, diabetes, tumours along with seeing signs and associations of many other systemic disease, but likewise these conditions can exist without any ocular signs.

Yet Optometry is now a 21st century healthcare profession not just a refracting machine. Optometrists are able to and being asked to conduct more tests and screen for more conditions than ever before. Technology helps to achieve this

Most of us embrace new technology. It would be great if every practice had a HRT or OCT machine, an Optomap scanner and corneal topographer. Unfortunately this is maybe unrealistic. This equipment costs many thousands of pounds and the individual practice has to fund it. I am not surprised and felt encouraged when £150 was paid for the eye examination and the reassurance obtained by the journalist. I agree this may seem lots to the public when all is ok, but imagine if a disease had been detected which could have been successfully treated or managed due to the early stage of diagnosis. £150 would then certainly be worthwhile paying

Many regular blog readers will know that encouraging a correct professional fee’s basis is something that I proactively support. Articles like this only help the cause, by strengthening the argument about the work done by Optometric practices all over the country and the importance to pay a fair fee for the expertise and equipment used. Thank you Simon Crompton, for your positive article and understanding of the services this profession is capable of offering.

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