Developing thoughts

PRACTICE MATTERS Developing thoughts

There are hard times to come – but there is also cause for optimism, writes Phil Mullins

Best of times, worst of times

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

When Charles Dickens wrote these famous lines for his epic novel, A Tale of Two Cities, he could never have dreamt how apt they would be for the year 2020. Without doubt, 2020 will go down in history, alongside previous wars, famines and plagues, as the first global pandemic to occur in the digital age where national lockdowns saw life as we know it grind to a halt.

I think we can all agree it has been the worst of times. The number of deaths alone would put us there, but many industries have been devastated. Although the government has been paying the wages of millions, over the next few months we will see even more people lose their jobs, including those in the optical sector. But on the flipside, it has also been the best of times. We have seen amazing acts of kindness, the like of which we may never see again, as people have just got on with it. The ‘clap for the NHS and key workers’ initiative brought communities closer together, as did all the local support groups that popped up across the nations.

ADAPTING TO NEW ROUTINES But what about the independent optical sector? What’s happening, and how are members responding? Firstly, the great news is that the vast majority of members are open for business. Having survived lockdown, many of our members are now determined to come through this difficult time stronger than ever before. Unfortunately, we have had a very small number who didn’t reopen following lockdown, and some are still struggling. But overwhelming, the tone has been very upbeat. A few weeks in to the easing of lockdown, most practices seemed to have constructed themselves a great routine, making sure everything was done via appointment, screens in place, good signage, and a warm welcome to patients. Initially, many were taking one hour per examination to allow for personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning, but most are now five to 10 minutes longer than before as everyone gets used to the new routines. Members are also reporting that they are looking at what changes they need to improve how they work; a case in point is the introduction of digital phoropters, with the Luneau VX65 and the Essilor R800 being the most popular. They are so much easier to clean than trial sets and add a modern technology feel to the examination.

One benefit post lockdown has been the desire to eliminate as much paper as possible, with many practices turning to electronic NHS claims and clinical records. Our Optinet team members have been run off their feet with requests to move to eGOS and online booking systems. They have also been working with practices to upgrade to Optinet FLEX, which with full clinical record, dispensing, remote recall mailing, SMS, and email messaging as well as eGOS, enables practices to become as near to paperless as possible.

POSITIVE FEEDBACK AND OUTLOOK So, we are up and running, there’s a routine in place and we are heading towards eliminating the paper practice: but what’s next? The big message from NEG this year is that just because you’re independent, it doesn’t mean you’re alone. There is a lot of support out there, regardless of where you are located or how small your business is. During lockdown, we received tremendous feedback for the updates we shared from Xact regarding staffing and, in particular, the furlough scheme, which saved many practices.

A global crisis in the digital age

We have also seen a growing number of members upgrade their NEG Business Club membership from the free element, which is available to all members, to the monthly subscription. Once again, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive as practices work closely with Andy Clark and his team to maximise business potential in the coming months. This will be particularly crucial as more and more people turn to local businesses and move away from the big multinationals, emphasising local is best.

Obviously, this is just a flavour of what’s happening at the moment and we are constantly working behind the scenes to bring members more support and benefits, which we will keep you informed about in the coming months. But if there is anything in particular that you would like us to look at, please feel free to email me at p.mullins@nationaleyecare.co.uk and I’d be more than happy to look at your suggestions.