01 November 2019
Specsavers has won the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) vision testing services contract, it has been announced today (1 November).
Speaking to the DVLA, a spokesperson confirmed to OT that the multiple had successfully retained the contract.
Specsavers’ UK and Ireland managing director, Paul Marshall, told OT: “We are pleased and honoured that the DVLA has chosen to award Specsavers a new contract following a competitive and extensive tender process. We look forward to continuing our successful relationship with the DVLA and working with them to further improve the service.”
“More than 420 Specsavers stores currently take part in the DVLA contract, with around 70,000 group 1 and group 2 drivers tested every year,” Mr Marshall added.
Specsavers has held the DVLA contract since 2014. The new contract runs for a period of three years from April 2020, with the option to extend for two 12 monthly periods. The estimated contract value is up to £19.1m over a five-year period.
Responding to the announcement, the chief officer of Primary Eyecare Services (PES), Dharmesh Patel, which submitted a rival tender, said: “PES is naturally disappointed not to have been appointed to deliver the DVLA Vision Testing Service. We believe we offered a strong, credible proposition, which was supported by the national optical bodies of England, Scotland and Wales. It would have delivered a convenient local, flexible service for the public and high quality reporting for the DVLA, via the 2500 optical practices situated across the UK that were included in our proposal.”
Mr Patel added: “PES is committed to developing innovative, cost-effective and comprehensive optical services that deliver the best outcomes for patients and commissioning bodies. We will continue to pursue a collaborative approach that reflects the needs of patients and champions the extensive expertise available in primary care optical practices.”
Image credit: Getty/Georgeclerk
Speaking to the DVLA, a spokesperson confirmed to OT that the multiple had successfully retained the contract.
Specsavers’ UK and Ireland managing director, Paul Marshall, told OT: “We are pleased and honoured that the DVLA has chosen to award Specsavers a new contract following a competitive and extensive tender process. We look forward to continuing our successful relationship with the DVLA and working with them to further improve the service.”
“More than 420 Specsavers stores currently take part in the DVLA contract, with around 70,000 group 1 and group 2 drivers tested every year,” Mr Marshall added.
Specsavers has held the DVLA contract since 2014. The new contract runs for a period of three years from April 2020, with the option to extend for two 12 monthly periods. The estimated contract value is up to £19.1m over a five-year period.
Responding to the announcement, the chief officer of Primary Eyecare Services (PES), Dharmesh Patel, which submitted a rival tender, said: “PES is naturally disappointed not to have been appointed to deliver the DVLA Vision Testing Service. We believe we offered a strong, credible proposition, which was supported by the national optical bodies of England, Scotland and Wales. It would have delivered a convenient local, flexible service for the public and high quality reporting for the DVLA, via the 2500 optical practices situated across the UK that were included in our proposal.”
Mr Patel added: “PES is committed to developing innovative, cost-effective and comprehensive optical services that deliver the best outcomes for patients and commissioning bodies. We will continue to pursue a collaborative approach that reflects the needs of patients and champions the extensive expertise available in primary care optical practices.”
Image credit: Getty/Georgeclerk
Comments (4)
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Tiggy Puggenheim09 November 2019
I'm so pleased I don't live in a corrupt country where multinational companies can buy off government departments; that would be terrible!
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Anonymous08 November 2019
Point 1. Do we know why DVLA chose SS rather than the LOCSU bid?
Point 2. If patients weren't happy with the service from SS then they should have been complaining to DVLA, not to their own optometrist.
Point 3. I don't understand the points the previous 2 responders are making??
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Anonymous07 November 2019
When you do the maths, the DVLA contract is worth £54.57 per visual fields test. How was it not possible for LOCSU to win the contract for all Opticians?? Its no surprise that LOCSU decided to lead the bid for Opticians in general. Specsavers were always going to win if they were against LOCSU. Absolutely disgusting...totally bent process!
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Anonymous04 November 2019
not part of the optometry team
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