Kevin Milsom took over the ABDO presidency in September this year. Shannon McKenzie hears what he thinks about the future of optics and the challenges ahead for dispensing opticians
With 28 years in optics, Kevin Milsom - the new president of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians - has first-hand experience of change within the profession.
When Milsom started out, advertising restrictions were still in place and the vast majority of spectacles were dispensed on an NHS scheme. Optics has clearly evolved since that time with retail strategies - including advertising - now playing a major role. Working through these changes means Milsom is undaunted by the challenges on the horizon.
GOS REVIEW
The General Ophthalmic Services review is set to examine closely all aspects of eye care provision, from whether it is possible to give local practitioners more responsibility for patient eye care, to the make-up of local optical committees. Findings and recommendations from the review are expected early next year.
'The GOS review is the biggest challenge to optics in general,' says Milsom. 'What we are looking to get out of that is recognition at primary care trust level. We were deregistered from the list at PCT level many years ago, and we want to get ourselves listed again because we now supply low vision aids and fit spectacles for children under the age of 16. However, the Department of Health does not see the necessity for opticians to be listed.
'Currently, as far as the DoH is concerned, optometrists supply general ophthalmic services, but dispensing opticians do not. And although we are not regulated in one way, we are regulated by the General Optical Council because the government still wants us regulated given we work with vulnerable people. So they expect to regulate us but do not wish to afford us the recognition. If we can get that recognition, perhaps we can also start looking for CET funding.'
There were opportunities for dispensing opticians, and particularly specialised contact lens opticians, to take a greater role in eye care within the community. 'New care competencies for dispensing opticians are saying they have to do a lot more,' Milsom notes. 'Already the role of the dispensing optician is being pushed forward. Not all opticians will want to do this. Other people will want to do this and will rise to the new challenges.'
There were promising signs from the DoH, he noted, with an acknowledgement that dispensing opticians have an important role, and the potential to contribute even more to eye care. 'We have been campaigning on this for a long time. But we are still unsure as to exactly what they are going to do. We really do not know what we are going to get out of this,' he says.
This is the second GOS review that Milsom has been involved in, he is currently working with the Welsh Assembly government to explore ways to improve services in Wales. The experience, he notes, is quite different. 'In Wales, we are ensuring dispensing opticians are there and have an enhanced role. We have been talking to the Welsh Assembly in a totally different way to the way we are talking to the DoH. They are far more accessible, and as a result we are far more able to interact with them.'
Ensuring a higher profile for dispensing opticians under the new optics world order is not the only focus for ABDO, says Milsom. CET is an ongoing issue for the organisation, both in ensuring its members obtain their points, and in working to ensure a fairer system.
'Most people have acquired their CET points,' he says, 'but there are a number of people who have not. We are looking to address this problem and looking at how we can help them get the 36 points. We want them to get their points, and it could possibly be argued that this could be a reason for the DoH to allocate dispensing opticians some CET funding. 'We have not had any CET funding since the scheme first started. Some people thought we were not active enough in opposing this. This wasn't the case, and we have to remember that a lot of other professions do not get funding for their CET. It is actually quite unusual for optometrists to be allocated this funding,' he points out.
Career pathways, Milsom says, is one area which needs more attention and ABDO will be working to develop clearer career pathways in the future.
'We are always looking to provide benefits for our members, we want to be there to support them. Part of that is about developing career ladders, and we have been involved in developing career pathways. We probably have not had our foot on the gas as much as we could have in this area, but it is definitely becoming more important and we are getting more involved. We are looking at parallel careers, and looking at how people can move into optics.'
Currently, optical assistants and practice receptionists with significant experience can move into dispensing by completing a qualifying course. And dispensing opticians themselves can opt to enhance their skills by completing a course to become a contact lens optician, or even to become an optometrist. 'We need to ensure that we have such pathways firmly in place. As new people move into and through optics, it will free up others within the workforce to concentrate on patients and other work,' Milsom says.
THE PRESIDENT'S PATHWAY
Milsom's own career has seen him work in a number of different environments. He chose the profession after answering an advert in a local newspaper. 'I thought it looked interesting,' he says. 'I was keen to get into a profession, and I enjoyed science at school, and this was something that was science-based. Also, I had spent some time working in retail. 'I like being a dispensing optician, as each day is different, you meet different people and no one person is the same, or needs the same things. And you don't just fit frames or contacts, you spend a lot of time talking to people, which I really enjoy. I've not fitted any celebrities yet, but I have fitted a couple of players from the Welsh rugby team.'
Milsom started out in Cardiff as a trainee dispensing optician, moving to Bristol after qualifying. After six years there, he moved again, this time to Swansea to take up a management position at a multiple, where he stayed for seven years. He then qualified as a CLO and practised, again at a multiple, for nearly 12 years. For the past year he has been working as a locum. 'It allows me more flexibility in managing my time. I don't think I would have been able to manage the ABDO presidency as a full-time optician, I just don't think I would have been able to commit the time it deserves,' he says.