The new Optical Workforce Survey, to measure changes in the optical workforce, has been published. The study, involving optometrists and dispensing opticians (DOs) was led by the College of Optometrists with support from a cross-sector advisory group.

The study included a questionnaire for optometrists and DOs, interviews with stakeholders from the optical sector, and the use of other data from a variety of sources. The survey data has been analysed to examine how the workforce has changed since a similar survey was conducted by the College in 2010 and to identify the factors that may influence the work of the optical professions in the next five years, including workforce capacity and its ability to meet future demand. The data relating to DOs was collected in this survey for the first time.

The report’s key findings include:

• 80% of optometrists and 79% of DOs rate their overall job satisfaction 5, 6, or 7 using a scale of 1-7 (1+ extremely dissatisfied and 7 extremely satisfied).
• 64% of optometrists and 70% of DOs currently work full time.
• Flexible working is the main career preference for both professional groups in the next five years, selected by 45.7% of optometrists and 35.6% of DOs.
• Survey findings estimate that there are currently 12,099 full time equivalent (FTE) optometrists in the UK, whereas 12,912 might be needed to meet the current needs of the population. As a result there might be a net undersupply.
• Differences in optometric workforce supply, relative to population, exist across the UK with significant variation from region to region.
• The percentage of optometrist respondents earning less than £40,000 per year has risen since the survey was last conducted in 2010 (48% in 2010, 57% in 2015), while those earning over £40,000 per year has fallen (52% in 2010, 43% in 2015).
• The average income of female optometrists and DOs in the majority of age groups is lower than that of their male colleagues, even once part-time working had been taken into account, but whether this was the case for comparable work in comparable settings was not clear.
• There has been a substantial increase in the prevalence of locum working. 17.5% of optometrists now work as locums as compared to 10.5% in 2010. 9.1% of DOs now work as locums.
• One third of the optometrist respondents (33.2%) and one quarter of DOs (24.3%) were practice owners or franchisees.
• 39.3% of respondents reported having had a clinical appraisal in the last 12 months.
• 58.7% of survey respondents indicated a special clinical area of interest or subspecialty within optometry.

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Health minister, Alistair Burt, told delegates at 100% Optical that patients shouldn’t see GPs for every medical ailment, and that CCGs need to use the whole range of health professionals – including those in eye care ­– to innovate in health delivery.

Speaking for the first time to an exclusively optical audience on Saturday (6th February), the minister responsible for primary care services said that he was determined to ensure that the development of primary care was not centred solely around general practice and that all primary care professions are recognised and valued.

“I want to acknowledge the importance of eye health,” Mr Burt, Minister of State for Community and Social Care, told the audience at the Optical Confederation session at 100% Optical. “The role of primary care in developing services for the future is crucial and it’s vitally important that this includes eye care professionals, shaping eye care services so they are fit to meet the growing demand for the future.”

Keynote speaker during a session on “Unleashing Local Energies”, the minister said it was important that CCGs worked in partnership with the wider workforce in primary care when deciding what is best for patients.

“Radical change is required to realise our objectives for health and wellbeing, quality and efficiency and to simply be able to meet the challenges we are going to face with a growing population, and to meet the increasing needs of those with visual impairments.

“However, doing this is not just something for the CCG in isolation, but something in which the local health community has a shared interest and should involve a full range of health care professionals.”

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