In Focus: Optometrists working beyond normal hours

A n increase in the number of optometrists who worked beyond their hours in the last year has been revealed in a survey commissioned by the General Optical Council (GOC).

The regulator found 57% worked beyond their hours in the past 12 months, which was up from 40% in 2021. Optometrists were more likely to be working beyond their hours (60%) or finding it difficult to provide patients with the sufficient level of care they need (34%) when compared to other registration types.

The GOC commissioned Enventure Research to survey its registrants on their experiences of working in clinical practice. It received 4,102 responses, which represented a 14% response rate, and was conducted between March 22 and April 26, 2022.