
26/09/2025
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฑ๐ญ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ: ๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐโ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ฒโ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ.
The future of optometry is closely tied to the strength of its education and training systems, yet current workforce pressures are already influencing how the next generation will enter and progress within the profession.
๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ฌ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ:
๐น ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ.Student numbers continue to increase, but this growth raises questions about the teaching capacity, placement opportunities, and long-term employment prospects for graduates once they enter the field.
๐น ๐
๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ข๐ง๐ (๐๐)
At a time when demand for enhanced services is growing, a decline in IP training may limit the professionโs ability to meet future patient needs. Expanding prescribing skills remains vital for relieving NHS pressures and delivering more comprehensive eye care.
๐น ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง
The GOCโs 2025 Workforce and Perceptions Survey found that 20% of optometrists supervised pre-registration trainees in the past year, yet many highlighted workload and time management pressures as barriers to effective supervision. This raises concerns about how students are supported through to qualification.
๐๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฌ:
ยท 48% of optometrists reported that standard sight test times felt insufficient for safe patient care.
ยท 38% reported feeling pressure to see a high number of patients each day.
ยท 55% expressed overall job satisfaction, a decline from 62% in 2023.
These pressures within the workforce inevitably shape the training environment. If practising professionals are under strain, the impact is likely to be felt by students, trainees, and those at the beginning of their careers. Many enter the profession driven by an interest in eye health and a desire to help people. The challenge lies in ensuring that education, supervision, and workplace conditions enable those motivations to develop into long-term, sustainable careers.
๐ ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ, ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ, ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ถ๐ค๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ด๐ต ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ง๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ด ๐ง๐ถ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ค๐ฆ?
Data referenced is sourced from the GOC Registrant Workforce and Perceptions Survey (June 2025)