The inexorable rise of the freelance optometrist

As practitioners juggle work-life balance and parenting needs, it is perhaps not surprising that the number of locum optometrists has risen dramatically in the past five years.

This rise is borne out in the recent Optical Workforce Survey, carried out by the College of Optometrists (with support from a cross-sector advisory group), which places locums at 17.5% of the optometric total. That’s an increase of 7.5% from 2010.

One might assume that high daily rates are the main stimulus for the move. However, these have only recently increased and variety of work and work-life balance are other strong drivers, something also reflected in contracts for employed optometrists.