If you are struggling to grasp the fact that Christmas is only a couple of weeks away, and New Year just around the corner then welcome to the club. 2016 seems to have come and gone in a flash. When each rotation around the sun nears completion I enjoy taking some time to reflect on the previous 12 months, and look forward to what the next year will bring.
On a personal level I became an uncle for the first time. Then my wife (also an optometrist) and I became parents for the first time. We have joined the ranks of the sleep-deprived who manage to exist with miniscule levels of shut-eye previously thought likely to end in death, or at the very least an inability to perform even basic tasks. Thankfully, like everyone else we have managed to adapt, albeit some days I might resemble an extra from the Walking Dead. I’m told that the sleep thing gets better as time goes on. More worryingly, I’m also told that it doesn’t…
On a professional level I have enjoyed the variety and challenges that being an optometrist and business owner has brought. As a Wopec lead assessor I have been involved in a number of assessments over the past year in both Mecs and glaucoma where colleagues have pushed themselves outside their comfort zones to be assessed in a formal way, sometimes for the first time since qualification. I have thoroughly enjoyed supporting colleagues in my practice to achieve their professional qualifications in dispensing, and continued CPD for my fellow optometrists.
As fellow optometrists know, it can be a solitary job, especially in smaller practices. Thankfully, through Specsavers’ regular CET events, including the main PAC, but also regional optometrist conferences and in-practice peer discussion and clinical workshops, I get to spend time with other optometrists to widen my professional knowledge and develop clinical skills.
Being with optometrists who have been qualified for 30 years or three months is beneficial for all involved, and ultimately for the profession, as tips and techniques can be shared to ensure best practice for both patients and practitioner.
On a business level my practice has been busier than ever. We are very fortunate to have an extremely loyal patient base. Since opening the practice eight years ago, our patients have become true ambassadors for the service and products that we offer. Their word of mouth recommendations have been vital in ensuring year-on-year growth. This has largely been down to the fantastic practice support team that are the front-line in our relationships with our patients. Furthermore, offering additional clinical services like Mecs over the past four years or so has continued to attract new patients to the practice, and generally they then choose to return for their ‘routine’ eye care also.
Traditionally the festive season leads to a slowdown in optical business, but over the past few years I have found that the combination of service, products, and value for money that we offer has kept my clinics busy throughout December and the new year.
As I look to the future I am filled with optimism that the profession will continue to thrive despite the threat of disruptive technology. The only way we can overcome the challenges posed by these threats is by being able and ready to adapt the way we work, and the professional services that we provide.
As mentioned in my previous column, one way to do this is to narrow the gap between optometry and ophthalmology – using our clinical skills and knowledge in conjunction with ophthalmologists to provide their services on the high street, resulting in a convenient and cost-effective service for both the patient and the NHS. So the newly announced investment that Specsavers has made in a partnership with Newmedica, a company that has been doing just that for nearly a decade, gives me a great level of excitement for what is to come. Potentially, in the future my team and I will be involved in providing eye care services spanning the entire lifetime of a patient. Obviously at this stage it is impossible to know what the future looks like, but I’m looking forward to finding out.
Finally I would like to wish everyone reading a fantastic Christmas, and a prosperous, happy, and healthy 2017.
Ross Campbell is ophthalmic director of Specsavers, Richmond, North Yorkshire