An undersupply of optometrists in the UK in tandem with lower average salaries and an explosion of locum working has changed the face of the optical workplace.
These were among the conclusions of a long-awaited Optical Workforce Survey by the College of Optometrists, released today, which called current workforce patterns into question.
It estimated a net undersupply of full-time optometrists – despite the arrival of a controversial new optometry course at the University of Hertfordshire.
A petition opposing the courses attracted 2,697 signatures.
Overall, the College estimated this week that around 813 more optometrists were needed to serve the eye care needs of the nation, which support plans for another course approved at the University of Portsmouth.
Further findings indicated a shift towards more flexible working in the profession and a 7% rise in the number of locums, while females were trailing behind on the pay scale.
The College gathered its data from a randomised sample of 1,218 optometrists and dispensing opticians who completed its online survey between December 2014 and November 2015.
Responses to the College questionnaire were analysed to examine how the workforce has changed since a similar survey was conducted by the College in 2010.
Sexist pay policy
It was the first time such data had been collected for dispensing opticians, who along with optometrists saw little growth in salary.
Peter Black, president of advisory group member ABDO, said: ‘ABDO is delighted that dispensing opticians and contact lens opticians have been included in this research for the first time and there are many interesting insights.
‘It is disappointing that dispensing opticians, in common with optometrists, on average seem to be earning similar salaries to those reported over 10 years ago before the recession, although the gap between the lowest and highest paid appears to be widening.’
The percentage of optometrist respondents earning less than £40,000 per year had risen 9% since the survey was last conducted in 2010, while those earning more than that fell by 9%, representing just less than half of today’s workforce.
Meanwhile, the average income of female optometrists and DOs in the majority of age groups was found to be lower than that of their male colleagues.
Mike Bowen, director of research for the College of Optometrists, told Optician: ‘The profession might want to look at whether we are paying female members equally to males.’
Furthermore, this followed an influx of females into the profession to about 70% of new entrants this year.
A substantial increase in the prevalence of locum working has resulted in 17.5% of optometrists locuming compared to 10.5% in 2010, with 9.1% of DOs now working as locums. ‘We are seeing a definite trend in people wanting to be more flexible but work full-time hours,’ Bowen said.
Storing up a problem?
Black issued a warning about an over-reliance on locums though, saying: ‘A greater number of optometrists and dispensing opticians than expected are working as locums. Yet the legal position seems to be that locums should only be covering for holidays and sickness [a contract of employment being issued for regular days] and one wonders whether the sector may be storing up a problem for itself in this regard.’
From a clinical point of view, 39.3% of respondents reported having had a clinical appraisal in the last 12 months, while 58.7% had a special clinical area of interest or sub-specialty within optometry.
Of primary importance in the College study was undoubtedly its estimate, using workforce mapping, that the 12,099 full time optometrists in the UK fell short of the 12,912 that might be needed to meet the current needs of the population. It noted that differences in supply existed across regions of the UK.
Bowen added: ‘Although this study did not directly aim to determine if there is an over or undersupply of optical professions in the UK, the results, supplemented by additional data sources, can be used to identify trends that relate to current and future workforce patterns relative to demographic changes and changes to service provision.
‘The data raises other questions that require further investigation and a sector-wide response, including the factors contributing to oversupply and undersupply in certain regions, a possible fall in remuneration, the potential disparity in women’s pay and the apparently low numbers of clinical appraisals being carried out.’
In addition to its survey, the College conducted interviews with 41 of its stakeholders including academics, employers and other optical bodies in order to bolster the findings, which will be discussed further at a roundtable event this spring.
[CaptionComponent="2216"]'Undersupply of talent'
Rebecca Wood, optical recruitment specialist at Zest Optical
‘The level of optometrist vacancies in the marketplace is significant and does seem to reflect an undersupply within the market. As ever, the geographical disparities are prevalent with hard-to-fill locations still experiencing difficulties and there is an ever increasing trend for these practices to look at offering higher salaries in order to attract professionals to the area.
‘However, despite there being a general undersupply within the market, there is still competitiveness in the sense that clients are still looking to recruit the right candidates for the role. As a whole, with an ever increasing population, there is clearly a need to increase the levels of professionally qualified optometrists in order to meet the increasing demands of the rising and ageing population and as such the provision of two new courses will go some way towards this.’
[CaptionComponent="2217"]'Get out of the city'
Nick Rumney, senior optometrist at BBR Optometry, Hereford
‘The location factor is important. If you want to stay or return to where you went to uni you can bank on a pretty low starting salary due to rank oversupply of the average Joe or Julia optometrist. So first tip.: get out of the city and go where there’s a shortage of optoms, and expect £10k more. Second tip: if you stay in the corporate sector the career advancement prospects are slim at present unless you are prepared to play the numbers game. I think the intention of those who established the newer courses was to produce lower salaries.
‘As an independent not in a big city I find a shortage of well-motivated, ambitious registrant optometrists seeking to further their career clinically. It works for us because when we find one we can offer an attractive starting salary with a ramped-up career ladder using WOPEC-type modules and adding in IP. ‘
[CaptionComponent="2218"]'Enhance our status'
Moaz Nanjuwany, senior optometrist at Hammonds Eye Practice, Tottenham
‘We do need more optometrists for the future population. Today, there is an oversupply issue though and independents are having problems recruiting the right clinicians. The clinical skills are not always there with new starters who come from multiples, because the delivery of care in independent practice is very different. I am having to reprogram them – especially when it comes to dealing with paper records and delivering more holistic health-orientated care beyond a fast refraction.
‘The NHS, administrators and people who run the profession are out of touch with us. They need to focus on raising the status of the profession and give optometrists the title of doctor as we are currently not seen as part of the wider medical team, despite previous arrangements. At the moment optometry is not the preferred medical option for budding students.’
[CaptionComponent="2219"]'Good business to be in'
Jonathan Foreman, managing director of Observatory Wardale WIlliams
‘We have practices in very rural areas, some in commutable towns, and also one in a nice area of London and there are differences [when it comes to volume of applicants]. There are many applicants in London and few in the rural areas. Salaries can be higher in the rural areas, living expenses and housing is much cheaper, and patients are, well, more patient so we have longer waiting lists. We can meet demand and offer a rewarding profession.
‘As opticians we have a duty of care to patients before shareholders. Professional standards are raised by the bodies, the increase in high quality trade shows, the Optician Awards, the new GOC standards and good employers. To compete we have to make customers happy, and to do that we have to be really good at what we do. The role of the profession within healthcare and business is very clear now, and it’s a great business to be in.’