Optometry chains prioritize sales over patient care, risking health outcomes
Consensus Summary
Multiple optometry chains in Australia, including Specsavers, OPSM, and Bailey Nelson, are accused of prioritizing sales targets over patient care, according to internal documents and employee testimonies. Key performance indicators (KPIs) such as 'conversions' (same-day glasses sales) and average customer spend are driving optometrists to rush consultations, avoid clinical appointments, and push unnecessary treatments. Over 2600 optometrists, representing more than one-third of Australiaās workforce, have formed a collective to unionize the specialty, citing corporate pressures that compromise healthcare. One optometrist discovered an unruptured brain aneurysm in a patient during a 'black-out period' for clinical consults, while another reported a patient receiving burns from red light therapy pushed by management. The Australian Healthcare Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) received complaints against 1% of optometrists in 2024-25, lower than the 1.7% average for all health practitioners, though critics argue corporate incentives may lead to underreporting of harm. Optometry Australiaās chief clinical officer dismissed claims of systemic harm, emphasizing the professionās safety record, while employees and unions argue financial pressures are eroding clinical judgment.
ā Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- A collective of about 2600 optometrists (over one-third of Australiaās workforce) has formed to unionize the specialty, led by Matt Trinh, Rory Dowdall, and the Health Services Union (HSU).
- Key performance indicators (KPIs) at optometry chains (OPSM, Specsavers, Bailey Nelson) include 'conversions' (appointments resulting in same-day glasses sales) and customersā average spend (including add-ons like sunglasses or premium lenses).
- Specsavers senior management threatened pay cuts or performance reviews if optometrists failed to meet sales KPIs, as stated in internal documents and private messages.
- A Bailey Nelson directive suggested pointing out scratches on existing glasses to secure a sale when a patient didnāt need a prescription update.
- An OPSM locum optometrist was told via email that failure to improve individual KPIs would lead to a reduction or discontinuation of future bookings.
- Optometrists at OPSM and Bailey Nelson were pressured not to book clinical consults (e.g., for eye infections, diabetes checks) during peak sales periods like the end of the calendar year when health fund benefits expire.
- One per cent of optometrists were the subject of an Australian Healthcare Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) complaint in 2024-25, compared with 1.7 per cent across all registered health practitioners.
- Optometrist Helene Ly quit OPSM and Specsavers after stress from corporate chains caused severe reflux, as recommended by her psychologist.
- Optometrists at Specsavers were pressured to explain why patients didnāt buy new glasses, and if the reason was they didnāt need them, they were told to push for sales.
- Optometrists at Specsavers were expected to 'fish for conditions' in patients to claim Medicare items, even if the patient didnāt complain.
- At OPSM, some optometrists were pressured to treat close to one in three patients with red light therapy for dry eyes at $200 per session, leading to burns in one case.
- An optometrist at Bailey Nelson ignored directives during a 'black-out period' for clinical consults and performed additional tests on a patient with 'red flag' symptoms, discovering an unruptured brain aneurysm that required surgery the following week.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Luke Arundel, chief clinical officer at Optometry Australia, stated that anecdotal evidence does not prove KPIs are harming patients, calling optometry a 'very safe profession', while optometrists and the HSU claim corporate pressures directly compromise patient care.
Source Articles
Revealed: The optometrists punished for putting patients before sales
Senior management threatened pay cuts or performance reviews if optometrists failed to sell enough glasses.
Revealed: The optometrists punished for putting patients before sales
Senior management threatened pay cuts or performance reviews if optometrists failed to sell enough glasses.