In focus: Pre-reg trainees favouring multiple destinations

Optometry students are flooding into multiples to complete their pre-reg schemes in a worrying trend for independent optical practices.

According to the College of Optometrists’ latest pre-registration trainee analysis report, spanning June 2014 to August 2016, 85% of pre-reg placements were in multiple practices. Just 9% of the cohort completed their pre-reg with an independent and only 9% chose the hospital setting.

In total, 593 trainees completed the scheme for registration during the two-year period.

Of the multiples attracting optometry students between 2014-16, Specsavers offered 52% of the places, with 19% at Boots Opticians and 12% completed at Vision Express.

The figures suggested a surge in numbers favouring the multiple setting when compared with where optometrists established on the high street decided to train in the past.