Setting up IP placements in Gloucestershire

Anna Warner (AW): Within Gloucestershire, there was funding made available for optometrists to do additional training, so we knew from that that it was quite likely that there would be a number who asked to do IP and therefore placements would be needed.

We had supported internal practitioners [complete their IP placements] before, including myself. For optometrists who work within the hospital, it has been easy – they can sit in clinics when they need to, or use the clinics they’re already involved in, if they’re suitable. But we hadn’t been able to offer placements to external community optometrists easily before. It has taken a bit of setting up.

Tell me about the process of setting up the IP placements, and whether you have any lessons to pass on after establishing IP placements in the hospital.

AW: I got advice from the lead optometrist at Bristol Eye Hospital, because they have been running IP placements for a lot longer. It’s about figuring out what you need to do: do you need to do it in blocks, or are people going to come in once a week for a session?

We prefer to have it done in a block. There are certain clinics that run on certain days, so if optometrists are limited to one day per week, getting variety across clinics is quite difficult.

Also, the placement can go on for quite a long time if you’re doing it in just one session a week. It’s nice to be able to do it almost in one go. Poonam’s placement, for example, we did over two months, with the bulk in April followed by a few days in June.

Poonam, why was becoming IP qualified important to you, and what do you hope the benefits will be once you’re fully qualified?

Poonam Odedra (PO):I qualified over 15 years ago. I took a break from additional studying while my kids were little, but I always wanted to do something else.

I’ve been working for Boots Opticians for a number of years now, but I had also started another job, working in primary eye care, triaging eye emergencies throughout the whole of the UK. It’s a different job to working in retail optometry, obviously, but I found that I was really interested in it. Secondly, there was a bit of a gap in my knowledge. I was interested in IP, so I went for it.

What challenges have you found along the way?

PO: My peers and colleagues who are doing or have finished IP have found it a struggle to finish their university part of the course, and then find a placement.

I’ve been lucky. I decided to do IP, and my Local Optical Committee (LOC) funded it. My LOC, along with Anna at the hospital, organised my placement. I was given a date, I turned up on day one, and it was really well structured.

I’ve been uploading all the cases, and Anna has been a superstar at signing them off. Up until now, I haven’t hit a single hurdle, and it hasn’t been difficult to get through it. I haven’t sat my final exams yet, so there’s still that to come. But it has been lovely and smooth for me.

AW: Paperwork. Because the trust asks us to make sure everyone has an honorary contract if they’re sitting in for a certain length of placement, it’s a case of trying to get that sorted through HR and payroll, and it takes a lot of time. Their priority is sorting out the contracts for employees, as opposed to someone who is going to do a placement for a week. It means you have to chase, and it’s a little bit frustrating at times, because you don’t know quite how long it’s going to take.

What would you say to LOCs or anyone else who is in a position to fund IP placements about the importance of doing that?

AW:It’s important to make sure that, when you’re working in a hospital, you have good connections to your community optometrists. IP is a good way of upskilling community optometrists, and improving their referrals into your service. They gain so much from the qualification. But being able to offer the placement also means you get to know the community optometrists, and it means that you have a better relationship with them. That’s the real benefit, from my point of view.

PO:I agree. Going in for two and a bit weeks, I finally got to meet the people I’m calling to send emergency referrals through to. It has been nice, because now I’m referring emergencies with a lot more knowledge, and I’m able to have a nice conversation and gain more information on my side. You get to know the consultants that you’re referring to. In the area you work, having that close connection with the hospital eye department is invaluable.

IP, as a course, is invaluable. We have emergency clinics at work, and once I qualify as IP, I’ll be able to manage half of those emergency appointments in practice, rather than having to send those patients through to the hospital eye service. They’re really busy, so I think that’s great.

You get to know the consultants that you’re referring to. In the area you work, having that close connection with the hospital eye department is invaluable

How important is IP for the future of optometry, and in caring for patients?

AW:I think it’s important for both hospital and community optometrists. In hospital, there is a push for us to do extended clinics, such as glaucoma and emergency eye care, and a lot of hospital optometrists are doing that.

It’s really useful within hospital, but in the community as well. We know that hospitals can’t necessarily manage all the numbers, and there are lots of patients who are completely suitable for community optometrists to manage. Upskilling them to do so is vital.

Anna, are there any changes that you have recently made or want to make to the placements, and what are you thinking about in terms of intake going forward?

AW: At the moment, most of the emergency clinics are currently held at Cheltenham General Hospital. Because we have quite a few emergency clinics as part of the IP training, a lot of the placement is done in Cheltenham. But there is a move to have more emergency clinics in Gloucester, so future placements will probably be more of a mixture.

This will change how I structure the IP timetable. Initially, IP placements had almost a full week just in the emergency eye care clinics. That’s going to be difficult to do once the location changes, because it means they would have to cross from one hospital to the other during the day.

Poonam, how have you found managing the placement time with your employer?

Boots Opticians has been incredibly supportive. When I needed the extra two days, I had time off to complete them. They understand that it’s going to be valuable for the company. I’ve had lots of support from both Boots Opticians as a company and from my manager, in terms of understanding and time.

Do you have anything else to say on the subject that we have not spoken about already?

PO: I’d just thank Anna for sorting out an amazing placement for me. It was great. I went in every day, really excited to do my placement. I had an amazing two weeks.

AW:You do worry a little bit when you set it up that it’s all going to run smoothly.

PO: It all ran smoothly. All of the consultants and nurses were amazing. I’ve been qualified as an optometrist for ages, but I feel like it’s really enhanced my skills. I’m so much more confident dealing with pathology at work.