P R A C T I C E M AT T E R S
Developing thoughts This month, Phil Mullins rounds-up the key talking points at the recent AIO conference
Nice to see you, to see you nice patients lost and the majority happy to sign up to various payment plans. The main advice offered from those who had gone private was to make sure all practice staff were on board with the change, and singing from the same hymn sheet. It was also important to communicate fully with patients about the change; including why you longer accept GOS and the freedom it can bring for their eyecare. A real positive of this model is no longer having to ‘sell’ eyecare upgrades such as OCT or extended examinations. Everyone gets the full package and everyone pays.
Autumn has historically been a time for some of the smaller optical events to take place. For obvious reasons, the majority of these events have been postponed for the last two years – including our own members’ conference. So it was great that in early October, the Association for Independent Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians (AIO) went ahead with its 2021 conference in Kenilworth – with both NEG and Optinet in attendance to see everyone in person. As one delegate put it: “It’s nice to see people in 3D again”. It was truly great to be with enthusiastic people discussing all things independent over a cuppa. With the current CET cycle coming to an end next month, Mike Ockenden and the AIO team certainly made sure no-one was going to miss out on CET points – with CET topics as diverse as children struggling at school, cataract surgery, frame materials, myopia control, nystagmus and more. Add to this the more than 20 exhibitors in the exhibition hall and you can see why the event was so popular. So, what were the main talking points over coffee and lunch? Uppermost, of course, was how businesses were responding to the ongoing pandemic. The overwhelming vibe was positive, thankfully, with most delegates continuing to be very busy in practice with patients spending well. However, this means that many have had limited time away from practice over the past 18 months and are hoping that 2022 will provide some much-needed R&R opportunities. What was great to see though was the real positivity in the room: independent practitioners fired up for what comes next.
Phil and Optinet’s Chris Smith at the AIO conference
PRIVATE-ONLY PRACTICE Discussions about dropping GOS contracts and going totally private are gaining momentum – and this was the topic of a lively panel debate on the Saturday afternoon. Although only a handful in the room had already gone private, the majority were considering it. However, there were also those who would never be able to due to the demographics of their locality – and those who never would out of a moral obligation to their patients. This is something that does stick with me; if all independents go totally private, what happens to those unable to afford their eyecare? Do we just leave them to the big players, or (even worse) drive them to the cheapest specs they can find online? Reports from those who have taken the plunge were very positive, with few
One delegate asked how much the NHS would have to pay to keep delegates on board, but there never seemed a right answer. Personally, I think it’s not just about the amount paid, it’s the fact that it is such hard work getting paid at all at the moment. With the payment system constantly having issues, practitioners waste hours on admin. I am sure fewer practices would be considering dropping GOS if they were paid 100 per cent on time, every time. So what was the main take away from the AIO conference? From my own point of view, it’s that there are practices which can drop GOS and go private very easily, in fact they have probably been nearly there for a year or more. Some practices will never consider it, be it for the area they are in or from their moral stance on the issue. In reality, I think most practices will end up running a hybrid system, where they offer limited GOS appointments and push a payment plan option for the majority of their patients. This seems to work for practices across the country, but only time will tell if this is the right approach. Vision Now November 2021 17
