- OT
- Industry
- High Street
- Specsavers introduces new clinical technician role to the group
Specsavers introduces new clinical technician role to the group
The training can be accessed by optical assistants and is designed to be a role that supports optometrists
2 min read 4
Getty/RobertoDavid
07 June 2022
Specsavers has announced the launch of a new role across the group that aims to support optometrists to improve patient care and clinical efficiency.
The High Street multiple’s clinical technician position enables optical assistants to upskill through a 16-week long internal training programme that teaches them to perform diagnostic information gathering and pre-assessment procedures, when working under the supervision of an optometrist.
Specsavers highlighted that the new role “enables tasks to be safely delegated to the clinical technician as a trained member of the team, in line with the General Optical Council’s requirement that tasks are only delegated to those with the ‘knowledge or skills to perform the delegated activity’.”
Optical assistants who have six months experience are able to sign up to the programme, as can those who are Cert 3/Cert 3 contact lens qualified.
Speaking about the introduction of the clinical technician route, Grant Duncan, director of professional development at Specsavers, said: “Additional support from a colleague trained to talk to patients, explain the purpose of diagnostic tests and gain consent has been welcomed by our optometrists.”
Duncan explained that clinician technicians will have “skills relating to non-contact tonometry, keratometry and autorefraction. Plus, they are trained to use the latest digital imaging technology and can perform optical coherence tomography scan capture. Visual field testing following the optometrist’s instructions, always working within the oversight of the supervising clinician, is another area that can be undertaken by them.”
Duncan said that those who complete the clinical technician programme will also have “an enhanced understanding of the importance of diagnostic and pre-assessment tests and increased competence in their delivery.”
Comments (4)
You must be logged in to join the discussion. Log in
Anonymous28 June 2022
Makes total sense, you can reduce the number of optometrists, having one optom supervising many clinical assistants.
More eye exams per hour , less professional wages and better profit and productivity for specsavers - win win for everyone.
Report Like 308
Anonymous28 June 2022
Makes totla sense, you can reduce the number of optometrists, having one optom supervising many clinical assistants.
More eye exams per hour , less professional wages and better profit and productivity for specsavers - win win for everyone.
Report Like 214
Anonymous12 June 2022
Next will be to refract? Paving the way to de-regulation and reducing salary of optoms. What are the aop doing other than promote Specsavers on their platform.
Report Like 183
Anonymous11 June 2022
Sounds like just what existing pre screeners do ?
Are they going to be paid a decent living wage for doing this job ?
Report Like 235