Growing up, I always wanted to be a GP, but life had other plans for me. At 18, I was doing my A-levels, living alone in a privately rented flat near school and working every shift possible in the local supermarket to pay the bills. Without family support, adding university study to my already difficult existence seemed impossible.
Still, I was determined. I got good grades and worked full-time at the supermarket, while applying for roles in healthcare. After many rejections, I started in optics as a receptionist at a high street multiple.
Later, I interviewed for a job at the Cardiff franchise of the same multiple and I realised just how valuable an experienced optical assistant (OA) is to a busy practice when they offered me a job on the spot. I told them I wanted to try dispensing or lab work; they let me choose. I chose the lab but ended up doing a bit of both and often preferred the dispensing component.
Years later, life wasn’t the struggle it once was. I was working in a different practice and about to enrol on the dispensing optician course when I was offered a share of a year-old independent practice from someone who wanted out. I put the dispensing optician plan on hold and went for it. My new business partner, Clare, was halfway through maternity leave when I arrived.
In a mistake that I’m glad I made but won’t repeat, I hadn’t done my due diligence. The practice wasn’t the successful business that had been described to me.
While Clare was away, serious mistakes had been made. The bank balance was not good, and the business was close to complete failure. Everything was a mess. Instinctively, I gambled all available funds on some big changes and, with nothing left for advertising, I worked hard on social media. It paid off and everything was improving by the time Clare returned.
Any seasoned OA knows which optometrists are a fitness to practise hearing waiting to happen and which ones we would actually allow to examine our loved ones. Thankfully, Clare was definitely the latter and we agreed that she would concentrate completely on clinical care while I did everything else.
I gave up my dispensing optician plan to concentrate on the business. After three years, we were winning business awards and were debt-free in five.
I was invited to observe a Regional Optical Committee (ROC) meeting and immediately noted that the ROC wasn’t at all representative of the workforce, despite sometimes making decisions affecting us all. I saw only optometrists, who were mostly men. No dispensing opticians, let alone anyone like me.
Some acted like I shouldn’t be there, one even called me ‘an interloper’. I’d been invited, and the committee was funded by a levy that practices like mine paid, so the interloper comment was rude and unfair. I continued to attend anyway.
One day the committee wanted ideas on how to encourage the wider workforce to attend. I suggested simply re-wording the ROC webpage to clarify that it wasn’t only optometrists who were welcome and using social media to target younger members. Optometry Wales then employed me to run the online presence for the ROCs in Wales and workforce engagement improved considerably.
Thanks to my idea and efforts, dispensing opticians, pre-regs and student optometrists attended to observe the very next meeting.
Then, the committee wisely decided to be more representative and allow more of the workforce to join rather than just observe. Sadly, they voted against allowing just one space for a non-registrant owner/manager.
Some contacted me to express disagreement with the outcome, so by simple maths and a process of elimination I knew exactly who voted no. I even heard on the grapevine that one person who had more than once asked my advice was a very emphatic ‘no’ vote.
Clearly unappreciated, I quietly stopped attending altogether.
Years went by and, recently, all Welsh practices were asked to form an optometry cluster group by sending a registrant or manager to meetings as part of our new contract. Our group was asked to select a representative to take pre-agreed budget requests to our primary care colleagues and then report back.
Despite having plenty of spare time, I didn’t volunteer due to the previous bad experience at the ROC. I wasn’t surprised when none of the optometrists did either.
Many, like Clare, were too busy upskilling to get ready for our new contract. A non-registrant practice manager was the only volunteer, and I was pleased to see him duly named by the cluster lead as our representative.
Within days, it was decided that the representative absolutely must be a registrant. The manager was sent on his way, and it was clear, yet again, that whereas a newly qualified optometrist would have been acceptable, someone with vast experience in the non-clinical side of optics was not good enough.
Anyway, it’s been a tough few years for practices. Sadly, not all have remained in business, including some practices belonging to those who didn’t think people like me worthy to join their committee.
Happily, Pearce & Blackmore continues its upward trajectory. Last year, we opened a second practice, and I watched Clare get recognised as the Optometrist of the Year at the Optician Awards.
Some people’s outdated attitudes may never change, but everything is wonderful in my career and my little corner of optics.