we are professionals
We can't accept 50% cut on our income when optician will be in high demand after the lockdown
A
Anonymous
6 years ago
We deserve a decent fee for our hard work.
A
Anonymous
6 years ago
We made the mistake by letting the multiples grow in the 90s, and all they've done, is ruin optometry. Years of stressful training, and tense working days will have an impact on all our health. Yet we work for the same salary as tradesmen. 35k. Are you joking. Even 45k is a joke.
M
Mohammed Asghar
8 years ago
DO not accept anything under £300. If you are in the midlands or London this may be trickier but persistance will pay off.
S
Salim Rehman
9 years ago
The best way to stop the rate dropping is to not accept a lower rate.
A
A Frangouli
9 years ago
Featured
Being a locum since 1995 I think it is completely unforgiving the fact that I get paid either the same or less for work now even though the responsibilities and the volume of work has risen. Inflation and increased costs or every basic need over the last 21 years has risen as well.
F
Francesca Cirillo
10 years ago
It is hard enough to pay taxes back then have nothing left over for sick days and annual leave.
Living expenses increase daily
Stop lowering locum optometrist rates
V
Vinod
10 years ago
Please advise how I can keep up to date as to what is happening regarding this petition.
J
Jasvinder Singh
10 years ago
Locum fees need to rise, but even more so, the NHS sight test fee is way too low! Where is that petition?
W
Woldesellasie Yohannes
10 years ago
Our Locum rate has never increasedfor decades . Why ? ???. We need a strond association . We need t I stand up for our right.
A
Anonymous
10 years ago
For the amount of sales pressure we get + the responsibility
A
Anonymous
10 years ago
OPTOMETRY is a terrible career choice.
#1 You will not be seen as a “eye specialist” Optometry is presented very misleadingly by UK universities: They present it as though will be some kind of “eye specialist who treats eye conditions and checks vision”. Believe me, you will not. 90+% of Optometrists work in a RETAIL setting where you will be expected purely to sell glasses or contact lenses. The general public do not even think about going to YOU as an optometrist for eye problems/disease. They go to their GP or Hospital A and E and to be fair why should they go to you as an Optometrist?? All YOU can do as an Optometrist is either refer them To their GP or hospital so why shouldn’t they just go straight there? You have no power to given them a prescription of any type of eye medication apart from Chloramphenicol which they could easily just buy from a Pharmacist without you****unless you study independent prescribing for 2 years postgraduate – which less the 5% of Optometrist do as it is a lot of hard work and responsibility and will get NO extra pay for doing it compared to a normal Optometrist, so why would most people bother? – They don’t. These days even patients have caught on to the fact that you are just a “glasses salesmen/women” as they often call us.
#2 You will have extreme sales pressure As I said, 90% of Optometry graduates will work in retail, and you will have incredibly strong sales pressure thrust upon you by often unqualified managers who have no optical training themselves. Also it is worth adding that even qualified managers or Optometrist practice owners themselves encourage this terrible practise. I have been qualified 7 years and it was basically the same everywhere I went, you will have targets like for example you need to get 70-80% of patients to buy glasses per day. Any Optometrist out there will tell you this is incredibly hard to do most of the time. For example if you see an old pensioner who tells you they can’t afford glasses
E
Ed Sweeting
10 years ago
I agree that the market is changing and the brands need to be more flexible and more generous with their remuneration towards the profession. At Visioncall we book our Locum 4 weeks in advance and pay above market rate, offering ongoing specialist Domiciliary training and the benefit of no weekends and working closely with a dispenser, please get in touch if you are interested in change from the high street. Ed Sweeting 07500538314
M
Mr Chris Rushen
10 years ago
Free sight tests is a major cause of low sight tests free. When the AOP and others try to negotiate for a better fee, they are met with, ''But some Opticians give it for free''. possible short term gain for a long term loss.
M
Mohammed panchbhaya
10 years ago
Hi mom
G
G
10 years ago
Featured
Multiples are abusing the flexibility of the locum relationship and scrapping clinics that are not full at short notice, often lying to patients about the real reason for the cancellation: 'The Optician can't make it in' or '..has cancelled'. Never: 'We don't think we can make our daily target' or 'We overspent our locum budget'
Know your value
I agree with the petition whole heartily.
The rates have been same since over 20 yrs.
we are professionals We can't accept 50% cut on our income when optician will be in high demand after the lockdown
We deserve a decent fee for our hard work.
We made the mistake by letting the multiples grow in the 90s, and all they've done, is ruin optometry. Years of stressful training, and tense working days will have an impact on all our health. Yet we work for the same salary as tradesmen. 35k. Are you joking. Even 45k is a joke.
DO not accept anything under £300. If you are in the midlands or London this may be trickier but persistance will pay off.
The best way to stop the rate dropping is to not accept a lower rate.
Being a locum since 1995 I think it is completely unforgiving the fact that I get paid either the same or less for work now even though the responsibilities and the volume of work has risen. Inflation and increased costs or every basic need over the last 21 years has risen as well.
It is hard enough to pay taxes back then have nothing left over for sick days and annual leave. Living expenses increase daily Stop lowering locum optometrist rates
Please advise how I can keep up to date as to what is happening regarding this petition.
Locum fees need to rise, but even more so, the NHS sight test fee is way too low! Where is that petition?
Our Locum rate has never increasedfor decades . Why ? ???. We need a strond association . We need t I stand up for our right.
For the amount of sales pressure we get + the responsibility
OPTOMETRY is a terrible career choice. #1 You will not be seen as a “eye specialist” Optometry is presented very misleadingly by UK universities: They present it as though will be some kind of “eye specialist who treats eye conditions and checks vision”. Believe me, you will not. 90+% of Optometrists work in a RETAIL setting where you will be expected purely to sell glasses or contact lenses. The general public do not even think about going to YOU as an optometrist for eye problems/disease. They go to their GP or Hospital A and E and to be fair why should they go to you as an Optometrist?? All YOU can do as an Optometrist is either refer them To their GP or hospital so why shouldn’t they just go straight there? You have no power to given them a prescription of any type of eye medication apart from Chloramphenicol which they could easily just buy from a Pharmacist without you****unless you study independent prescribing for 2 years postgraduate – which less the 5% of Optometrist do as it is a lot of hard work and responsibility and will get NO extra pay for doing it compared to a normal Optometrist, so why would most people bother? – They don’t. These days even patients have caught on to the fact that you are just a “glasses salesmen/women” as they often call us. #2 You will have extreme sales pressure As I said, 90% of Optometry graduates will work in retail, and you will have incredibly strong sales pressure thrust upon you by often unqualified managers who have no optical training themselves. Also it is worth adding that even qualified managers or Optometrist practice owners themselves encourage this terrible practise. I have been qualified 7 years and it was basically the same everywhere I went, you will have targets like for example you need to get 70-80% of patients to buy glasses per day. Any Optometrist out there will tell you this is incredibly hard to do most of the time. For example if you see an old pensioner who tells you they can’t afford glasses
I agree that the market is changing and the brands need to be more flexible and more generous with their remuneration towards the profession. At Visioncall we book our Locum 4 weeks in advance and pay above market rate, offering ongoing specialist Domiciliary training and the benefit of no weekends and working closely with a dispenser, please get in touch if you are interested in change from the high street. Ed Sweeting 07500538314
Free sight tests is a major cause of low sight tests free. When the AOP and others try to negotiate for a better fee, they are met with, ''But some Opticians give it for free''. possible short term gain for a long term loss.
Hi mom
Multiples are abusing the flexibility of the locum relationship and scrapping clinics that are not full at short notice, often lying to patients about the real reason for the cancellation: 'The Optician can't make it in' or '..has cancelled'. Never: 'We don't think we can make our daily target' or 'We overspent our locum budget'
Couldn't agree more!