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REVIEWS: Michael Clarke Comprehensive ophthalmology at the Last Chance Saloon BMJ 2005; 331: 1483 [Full text]

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Comprehensive ophthalmology at the Last Chance Saloon

Bob Hughes   (21 December 2005)

Comprehensive ophthalmology at the Last Chance Saloon 21 December 2005
Bob Hughes, Chief Executive Association of Optometrists, 61 Southwark Street, London SE1 0HL Send response to journal: Re: Comprehensive ophthalmology at the Last Chance Saloon	Michael Clarke in "Personal Views" (Comprehensive Ophthalmology at the Last Chance Saloon) complains about the chaos at the Department of Health and in the NHS generally and its detrimental effect on ophthalmological care. While I agree with most of the points made, I think that Mr Clarke misunderstands what optometrists are suggesting their role should be. Our members do not believe that they can do ophthalmologists' jobs for the NHS at lower rates (or indeed any rates). We do, however, know that optometrists have the skills and equipment in practice to monitor many conditions (cataract, diabetes and glaucoma, to name but three) in the community. This provides three major benefits: 1. It enables patients to be seen at a time and place convenient to them and keep them out of secondary care until they were in a position to benefit from it 2. It represents a cost efficient use of NHS funds; cash currently spent on ophthalmologists' monitoring of patients who could be seen in primary care would be spent on patients who need to see an ophthalmologist, while monitoring costs would go down for those who don't 3. A reduction in waiting times for patients These benefits are surely benefits for ophthalmology as well as for the patients, the NHS and for optometry. Yours sincerely Bob Hughes Chief Executive Association of Optometrists Competing interests: The author is Chief Executive of the Association of Optometrists