Concern over rise in student intake

These are among the results of an optician survey of all teaching staff in optometry departments in the UK. The research was conducted ahead of this week's optician Forum on optometric manpower (full report next week), which was sponsored by Rodenstock. In all, 57 teaching staff responded to the questionnaire, which focused on recruitment to the profession (see table). More than three-quarters of respondents (79 per cent) said they were concerned about the increasing levels of recruitment in optometry departments. Only 16 per cent were not. Despite the Government's intentions to expand further education opportunities, most university optometry staff said their departments were ill-prepared for an increase in intake. Only 11 per cent said they could cope with a 'substantial' increase in students, while a resounding 81 per cent who responded said their departments would not be able to cope with a substantial increase in