A recent survey carried out by The College of Optometrists reported that 74% of people in the UK either wear corrective eyewear or have improved their vision through laser eye surgery.
The report also revealed that the British public value their sight above any other sense, which along with the country’s ageing population has made eye health a priority for many people.
Taking care of the nation’s eyes is a team of optometry professionals working in healthcare centres, pharmacies and opticians. Some of these individuals choose to work on a locum basis either filling in for absent employees or providing extra manpower where it is needed most.
To become a dispensing optician, a role where the responsibilities includes fitting lenses for customers, providing advice and altering existing frames you will usually need to have completed a three year university course that has been accredited by the General Optician Council (GOC). Those who can demonstrate significant experience working in the eye care industry may find the entry requirements are more flexible, but this will depend on the position.
Optometrists are responsible for examining patients’ eyes, testing their sight and writing prescriptions. Optometrists are also trained to pick up on any eye problems, diseases, abnormalities and vision defects.
To become an optometrist you will need to have registered with the GOC. GOC registration consists of the following steps:
One of the UK’s biggest pharmaceutical companies is Boots. With many stores having a department dedicated to eye care services, they take on locums to cover for full-time staff that are sick or on annual leave. Registering as a locum on the Boots opticians’ jobs website is a great way to secure optometry locum work, as they keep a bank of locum staff and contact these individuals when their services are required.
Some other examples of companies that hire locum opticians and optometrists as and when they are required to fill staffing gaps are Asda, Vision Express and Specsavers. To sign up to work as a locum for these companies, you will usually be required to register your details on the respective website and the company will contact you when they have a position that fits your location and availability.
There are a range of benefits that come with working on a locum basis, some of which are listed below.
For an idea of the amount that you could be earning, please see below some approximate rates of pay for locum opticians and optometrists, as detailed by Talent.com (correct as of 2021):
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