Ever Considered Domiciliary?

More and more Optometrists I speak to are considering Domiciliary as an option, but for those of you who haven’t researched this sector of the industry before, what does it actually involve? Well, be prepared to have all your questions answered and find out why you should consider domiciliary for your next career move.

One of the reasons domiciliary is becoming so popular is because of the flexibility it gives to the Optometrists, Dispensing Opticians and Support Staff who come to work there. It has given some of our candidates the time to spend with their children at the weekend, as no weekend work is EVER required. Moreover, with the option now to work more days in the winter and less in the summer (so you can enjoy the lack of good weather we get!) and the option to choose one’s day off during the week, domiciliary clients are getting more and more ahead of the pack regarding flexible options for GOC registered professionals.

The vast majority of

Optometrists we speak to also want to spend more time with their patients and this is precisely something domiciliary can offer to Optometrists. Within a domiciliary environment, testing times are longer and thus you get to spend more time looking after the patient’s eye health accordingly. In a normal day you would see roughly 8 patients a day and because most of the patients you will be seeing will have past eye health problems (past cataract extraction, AMD etc.), it’s typical that most patients will require glasses – ultimately meaning you improve on the patient’s vision and day to day life!

Some of the main reasons that more and more Optometrists are considering a domiciliary position can be found below:

• Variation of your working day  – it’s rare to have two days that are the same
• Being ‘out and about’ – being out of the testing room is something that really appeals to a lot Optometrists we speak to. Many Optometrists who work in a domiciliary environment see towns and villages they would otherwise never of visited and get to be out in the fresh air – rather than being stuck in a dark, dull, and cramped testing room!
•  Your day is fully planned – with a dedicated team planning your day for you, from location to the patient you’re seeing, all you need to do is navigate there!
• Flexibility – all domiciliary positions include absolutely no weekends! Something that is rare to find in the optical industry. Also, as discussed above, the ability to work full time or part-time, and choose your day off in a week is imperative to many
• Low Vision – many patients will have reduced and low vision. Optometrists working in a practice environment often have limited exposure to low vision, but find this type of work rewarding and varied

As you can see from the above reasons, choosing a career in domiciliary is a route that requires a vast amount of learning and it’s normally a steep learning curve for most Optometrists. However, the benefits and variations that can be obtained within a domiciliary environment are second to none!

If you are considering a position within domiciliary, or just want to have some more information regarding your career, please call the team on 01268 920860. Please ask for Dan.