Yesterday I received a copy of the “Summary Results from the 2009 Health Workforce Annual Survey”. The survey is conducted by the Ministry of Health in an effort to provide statistical data about health care professionals in this country. What I found particularly interesting are the numbers of eyecare professionals actively practicing in the Nelson/Marlborough area. The 2009 statistics show that in 2009 there were 13 Optometrists and 4 Dispensing Opticians practicing.

Now -  ideally,  a client requiring eyecare services and products, would be seen by an Optometrist/Dispensing Optician team, where the Optometrist performs essential health checks (and provides a prescription if required) and a Dispensing Optician interpreting that prescriptions, advising on suitable frame and lens systems, and finally, fitting and assembling those appliances. In a scenario like this, the client can safely expect to receive great service and good advice  all round.

OK, so that’s the ideal situation, but looking at the 2009 Health Workforce Survey, the ideal is, at least in the Nelson/Marlborough area, far from being ideal.

There are currently 14 permanent optical practices in Nelson/Marlborough. If the statistical data from the Ministry of Health is correct and there are only 4 fully qualified and registered Dispensing Opticians working in the area (remember, 2 of them are Claudia and myself here at “Claudia K Opticians”), then I wonder who exactly provides these essential services in a chain store or private practice where the client can’t rely on the professional advice of a Dispensing Optician?

For those interested, a copy of the survey results should be available from the Ministry of Health website soon. I checked online today, but it seems that at the time of writing this, the 2009 survey results have not been published for download yet. However, if you are really keen, you may be able to contact data-enquiries@moh.govt.nz to get a hard copy of the current survey.