50 signatures reached
To: UK DVLA & DVSA
Force DVLA to Consider More Than Cost for Field Vision Test Provider
Specsavers have secured a monopoly contract with DVLA for official Field Vision Tests for driving suitability.
It would seem to be a dubious application of the government's own anti-competitive statement https://www.gov.uk/cartels-price-fixing
And not everyone is happy with Specsavers
* inconsistent service at different branches - Specsavers doesn't actually inspect any of the testing branches, either before they are accepted or during
* distance to be travelled as only certain branches are approved
* inconclusive test results
* Specsavers have not always had the monopoly
* Specsavers use technicians rather than qualified optometrists
* hospitals offer the EXACT same test, DVLA will not accept the result
Summary of the Specsavers contract (from the FOI request)
1. the criteria for the award of the contract was made purely on price!
2. the value of the contract is £9,711,030 (£9.7 million!!!)
3. the estimated cost in the tender was £19,100 000 (£19.1m) so no wonder Specsavers got the contract
Links
FOI Request to DVLA https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/specsavers_monopoly_of_dvla_fiel
FOI response letter from DVLA https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/specsavers_monopoly_of_dvla_fiel/response/2535171/attach/2/FOIR10990%20Kevin%20Lovelady.pdf?cookie_passthrough=1
DVLA Tender Document https://ted.europa.eu/EN/notice/-/detail/112727-2019
DVLA Specsavers Award https://ted.europa.eu/EN/notice/-/detail/523608-2019
Health Unlocked https://healthunlocked.com/glaucoma-uk/posts/150355747/dvla-specsavers
Other Threads https://healthunlocked.com/search/posts?query=dvla&community=all
It would seem to be a dubious application of the government's own anti-competitive statement https://www.gov.uk/cartels-price-fixing
And not everyone is happy with Specsavers
* inconsistent service at different branches - Specsavers doesn't actually inspect any of the testing branches, either before they are accepted or during
* distance to be travelled as only certain branches are approved
* inconclusive test results
* Specsavers have not always had the monopoly
* Specsavers use technicians rather than qualified optometrists
* hospitals offer the EXACT same test, DVLA will not accept the result
Summary of the Specsavers contract (from the FOI request)
1. the criteria for the award of the contract was made purely on price!
2. the value of the contract is £9,711,030 (£9.7 million!!!)
3. the estimated cost in the tender was £19,100 000 (£19.1m) so no wonder Specsavers got the contract
Links
FOI Request to DVLA https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/specsavers_monopoly_of_dvla_fiel
FOI response letter from DVLA https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/specsavers_monopoly_of_dvla_fiel/response/2535171/attach/2/FOIR10990%20Kevin%20Lovelady.pdf?cookie_passthrough=1
DVLA Tender Document https://ted.europa.eu/EN/notice/-/detail/112727-2019
DVLA Specsavers Award https://ted.europa.eu/EN/notice/-/detail/523608-2019
Health Unlocked https://healthunlocked.com/glaucoma-uk/posts/150355747/dvla-specsavers
Other Threads https://healthunlocked.com/search/posts?query=dvla&community=all
Why is this important?
The current DVLA-Specsavers contract is not fair and reasonable due to the lack of any other criteria being used for the contract decision. On the information provided in the FOI Request, patients are not surprised now why they feel that they are less important customers.
Patients should expect minimum operating standards to ensure effective delivery and the onus is on the patient to make arrangements to get to a Specsavers when other options/hospitals could be used.
Patients should expect minimum operating standards to ensure effective delivery and the onus is on the patient to make arrangements to get to a Specsavers when other options/hospitals could be used.
