Going private: the new direction for optometrists?
22 December 2021
Acuity digital
Practice pressures are causing some practitioners to switch to a private model, reports Kathy Oxtoby.
The traditional optometric business model that mixes a significant majority of NHS patients with private patients is changing. The administrative burden and low General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) fees have led to some practices adopting a private-only model to ensure a more sustainable business. The backlog of patients with eyecare needs within the NHS, which has been building since the pandemic began, and optometrists’ inability to take on some of these services in the volumes required, have also prompted some practitioners to move from a mixed to a private business model.
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