Historically, a key aspiration for many qualified optometrists was the desire to one day own and run a practice. However, we know from our research the profession has seen a dramatic shift. Practitioners are more open-minded about their long-term career goals – and increasingly choose self-employment over security of tenure.
The sector perhaps became more acutely aware of this trend through findings of the 2015 Optical Workforce Survey showing an increase in optometrist locums from 10.5% in 2010 to 17.5% in 2015. However, it has been shown to us many times since, and in different guises.
At the AOP, our membership figures show 35% identified as locums in 2017. We also know from our 2017 survey on the wellbeing of optometrists in the UK that there is a clear reluctance to become a practice owner. Only 3% of respondents aspired to owning their own practice in the short term, and just 9% in the longer term.
With that in mind, it is vital we begin to understand and cater for the specific needs of the locum practitioner. Naturally, continuity of care is an important issue for locums working in a variety of settings, under different practice protocols. This is why we have developed a new internal referral template to enable our members to refer patients to another practitioner within a practice for follow up tests and management.
Practitioners can use the template to formally pass on responsibility for a procedure and management of a patient. This is particularly useful in situations where a locum will not be in the practice again, or not within a suitable time period.
The internal referral template and guidance are available from the AOP website, www.aop.org.uk/internalreferrals.