NEWS 20 Mark’ennovy
Jim Dickson
Mark’ennovy has expanded its UK team with the appointment of Jim Dickson to the newlycreated role of head of professional affairs, UK and Ireland. A qualified contact lens optician, Jim has broad experience in practices across the UK including a period as a joint venture partner with Specsavers. He more recently worked as part of the UK professional affairs team at Alcon.
As part of his role, Jim will lead the UK roll-out of the new Mark’ennovy Academy for Training. He said: “I am very excited to join a business that places a high value on the role of professional affairs, as well as their commitment to improving lives through continued development in the field of individually crafted contact lenses.”
21 Independents Day Following the postponement of its one-day Independents Day event, due to take place last month at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, organiser Proven Track Record (PTR) has confirmed it will look to run the event in early spring 2022. PTR director Nick Atkins said: “Like many other optical events, we are sadly a casualty of the current situation and whilst we have continued to add delegates since the summer postponement, sadly the numbers do not make running the event commercially viable.” Co-director David Goad added: “After the postponement due to the delayed ending of national restrictions, Nick and I are deeply disappointed to have had to come to this decision. After the nightmare that was 2020, we were looking forward to getting back to some semblance of normality. Sadly, our confidence that we could run a face-to-face conference in 2021 proved a little optimistic.” The rearranged event will remain themed, ‘Commercialising myopia management’.
22 Louis Stone (Optical) September saw Louis Stone (Optical) donate 1,600 PD rulers and pens, worth more than £10,000, to universities across the UK that have shown “immeasurable loyalty” to the optical distributor over the years. “City, Cardiff, Aston, Hertfordshire, Ulster, Plymouth, Anglia Ruskin, Glasgow Caledonian and UWE universities received an influx of complimentary PD rulers and pens for their incoming new students – as well as ones that missed out on receipt of them during the height of the pandemic last year,” said Clare Gaba, head of marketing and communications for the company.
AN INDEPENDENT VIEW Time to review the Opticians Act At the AIO conference in Kenilworth on 9 and 10 October, there was a panel session on the subject of independents ditching the NHS contract and going completely private. The session was so popular amongst members that it ended up being standing room only; and was lively and very interesting. In a straw poll during the session, around three quarters of those practising in England who had not already made the move to going 100 per cent private, indicated that they were seriously considering doing so. Clearly, if this were to be replicated across all independent practices, it could potentially present the NHS in England with a major problem in the delivery of routine sight testing across the country. The subject of going private does, of course, throw up a number of other issues and questions, such as serving local communities and making eye health care available to all, particularly those who may be disadvantaged and cannot afford private care. The biggest question it throws up, however, is whether the 30-plus year-old Opticians Act of 1989 is still fit for purpose, and the panel session came up with a resounding answer that it is not. The AIO will, therefore, be writing to Sajid Javid, the secretary of state for health and social care, seeking a review of the Act with extensive consultation across the UK that should take account of the progressive delivery of eye health care services through community optometry in Scotland and Wales; and question why such a regime is not being delivered in England. The fractured postcode lottery that is the current reality for the provision of eyecare services in England cannot continue. There are those from other optical bodies who have counselled ‘be careful what you ask for’ in the past, but if there is to be a wholesale abandonment of the GOS contract by independents in England, this does not resonate any more. Nothing less than a root and branch review of the Act is required.
“We are so proud of the universities we have a close relationship with – from equipment fairs, awards evenings, sports kit sponsorships and now even webinars given the current climate. Our bond with such universities continues to go from strength to strength,” Clare added. Vision Now November 2021 15
