“Come on ref didn’t you see that, are you blind?”. The introduction of VAR at the World Cup means referees get a second chance on some decisions now. When they go and look in that little monitor cubicle there should not be a vision issue, just interpretation differences. But, why don’t they wear glasses. Well, one can presume they are wearing contact lenses, have had LASER surgery or really can’t see what is going on!

I test the eyes of lots of people who wear specs for everything expect sport. In fact, I play football with some who do this and you know what – they are very slow to spot a pass. However, like any good long-standing men’s 5-aside most don’t know my job and I don’t know what they do and that is the way we like it.

I wear contact lenses for sport (expect swimming – got prescription goggles for that) and love them but feel no need to wear them during the day or going out. Daily lenses make this affordable and convenient and we don’t force you on to some direct debit scheme – pay as you use.

Always loved the refereeing in Kes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9nDHupVqVw

"Is privatisation of the NHS inevitable and what would be its impact?"
To me privatisation means NHS services that do not meet the need of everyone, are not free at the point of delivery and are not based on clinical need, rather on the ability to pay. This is how public eyecare in England has been delivered since Conservative government privatisation in 1989.
So, for us it has already happened the question becomes, what has been the impact?

In blunt terms more people are suffering preventable sight loss and/or struggling daily with poor vision due to the lack of appropriate visual correction. 
The privatised model puts people off getting eye tests, even those who won’t necessarily have to pay. For example, only 23% of eligible (for NHS funded tests) 0-15 year olds have eye tests and only 60% of over 60s. The over 60s figure was much lower after the 1989 changes when they did have to pay for tests, prompting the Labour government in 1999 to make them free again.

As a practitioner this means I come across people who’ve avoided eye tests and the health screening they include for years by buying “pound shop readers”.  The unlucky ones have irreversible damage to their eyes due to glaucoma, the lucky ones just need some “proper” specs. I also see children who will suffer lifelong impacts, such as not being able to drive, as they did not get the correction they needed in the critical visual development period up to the age of around 7.

So, the privatised model does not deliver for England’s public health (it’s a bit different in Scotland and Wales) and reinforces health inequalities – people in more deprived areas are more deterred by cost and there is a lack of opticians in poorer areas.
The fees that opticians are paid for NHS services have massively reduced in real terms since 1989 too – this could count as a saving to the tax payer. However, this means the equipment and professional costs of carrying out eye tests must be cross-subsidised by spectacle sales.

This means pressure to make sales, up-sell and the temptation for unscrupulous practitioners to test too many people too quickly – all things that contribute to people not accessing eye tests. The alternative is to avoid all NHS work.

There is no point making the effort to cycle up Curbar or run to the top of Stanage if you are not going to take time to enjoy the view. The same goes for climbing Hollybush Crack, or swimming along the Derwent at Chatsworth or even walking the dog to the top of Grave’s Park. 
Gym workouts, indoor pools and climbing walls do all have their part to play in getting us all to Move More. They are though in my mind firmly still second best to the boost that getting outside in The (Capital “T”) Outdoor City gives us.  The views we see up in the hills play a huge part in creating the memories that we can bore friends about for years to come over pints outside pubs or mugs of tea in cafes or Facebook.
As an optometrist who tries to get out in to the Peaks as much as possible and someone who has been myopic (short-sighted) since the age of 15 I am very committed to helping people, including myself, see these views clearly, comfortably, safely and stylishly. We even offer £10 off if you bring your bike in with you.
Different outdoor activities often require different visual solutions – UV protection needs to be considered for all of them. Cyclists and runners, both on and off-road need protection from foreign bodies, clarity to see the route ahead and often the ability to see a map or electronic device too. Contact lenses work for me on a bike or on foot, with sunglasses or clear lenses over the top. Some people prefer cycling specs with the prescription incorporated into lenses that get darker in the sun and lighter as the light fades. 
I have met a few climbers who climb in a blur as they are worried about their specs falling off as they hang on to the crags. I argue that clear vision will make them a safer and better climber. Don’t they want to see if the person who is holding the rope is paying attention? Again, contact lenses are an option, but there are also all sorts of frames these days that incorporate changeable sides with straps on that can be helpful.
Wild swimming has become very popular in recent years and I am a big fan, though my kids know not to trust me when I say, “it’s really not that cold”. Contact lenses, frustratingly, should never be worn for swimming. Why? Because of the danger of infection by a microscopic organism called Acanthamoeba present in water. This infection is hard to diagnose and very hard to treat successfully. Prescription goggles are now affordable and something I would not be without. As an aside, polarised sunglasses are great for assessing how safe it is to jump in as they allow you to see rocks just under the surface that would otherwise be difficult to spot.
In recent times we’ve provided multifocal contact lenses for fell runners and orienteers who run at night who were finding that they were freezing faffing about getting out and putting on reading glasses. We’ve done goggles for skiing and clip on polarised sun glasses for varifocal wearing ramblers who walk in the variable weather conditions that characterise outdoor Yorkshire pursuits.
Needless to say we also like to help out those who enjoy all sorts of activities like rugby, football, tennis, netball or hockey and children who find their everyday specs are impinging on their sport.
So, get outdoors this summer, get a sweat on and don’t forget to #enjoytheview.