In Focus: News review of 2022

New year, new start seemed to be the way forward for much of the profession at the beginning of 2022, as the General Optical Council published research showing that a fifth were dissatisfied with their current roles and just over a fifth (22%), could not decide whether their role left them satisfied or dissatisfied. The data was originally collected as part of the GOC’s registrant survey and published in 2021, but the Council decided that some of the data needed further analysis.

Registrants were also asked what changes they would make to their careers during the next 12 to 24 months, with over a quarter (26%) of respondents saying they planned to leave the profession. More encouragingly, nearly half (47%) of satisfied respondents said they planned to gain additional qualifications and upskill.

In case you missed it (ICYMI): Essilor officially launched Stellest myopia management lens in the UK.

With potential amendments to the Optician’s Act in the offing and developments in technology providing both threats and opportunities, the next five-to-10 years will be crucial for dispensing opticians. The Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO), set out a clear strategy for its members at the start of the year, with the vision that DOs would have expanded and developed roles by 2026, along with a clear commitment to sustainability in optics.