Packing for every eventuality

When did you decide to become a locum and why?

I became a locum optometrist in 2014 after realising that if I wanted to progress my career in the direction that I hoped, locuming was going to be the best route for me due to the flexibility that it affords. In the years leading up to this decision I had joined my local optical committee, had got involved in commissioning at a local level, was completing further education and was driving forward the Healthy Living Optical Practice scheme in Dudley. Balancing all of these aspects of my professional life with working full-time meant a need for an increasing amount of time off and I found myself with little annual leave left for an actual holiday.

What advice would you give an optometrist considering becoming a locum?

My top tip for anyone considering becoming a locum is to make sure you know everything you can about the practice you are working in before you arrive. Be clear about your role and how you are comfortable working to particular testing times. Know your limits and stick to that as you are the person who is responsible that day.

Recently, I have noticed that independent practices are beginning to provide locums with an information pack prior to them attending practice. The packs that I have received have contained information on where to park, where to eat, what equipment is available and what is charged, and who the staff are. I have found it hugely beneficial to know who the receptionist is and which dispensing optician will be working with me before I arrive in practice.

What do you most like about being a locum?

I think the best thing about locuming is the flexibility that it offers. It allows you to pick and choose your working days and if you want a weekend off, you can take it. The other good thing is that you get to see what it is like to work in different places. You see how different independents operate and how this can differ to a multiple, as well as different patient demographics.

What do you least like about being a locum?

What I least like is that I can’t follow-up with my patients. This can be quite stressful if someone has presented with pathology and I have referred them. When I was working as a resident optometrist, it was very useful to be able to follow-up after a dilation or hospital visit, for example, and as a result my knowledge increased drastically. Feedback is so important.

The other thing is travel. As a locum you have to travel to where there is work and sometimes this can be a longer distance than is desirable. It can also be a little daunting when you first arrive at a new practice and there is equipment that you are not familiar with or the record card is structured in a different way to what you are used to.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first became a locum?

As a locum you really do need to be super-organised. I also wish that I’d known how much time was involved in keeping track of invoices and receipts, and paperwork in general. You have to keep on top of this all year round regularly. If it’s left until the last minute it can be very stressful.

My advice to optometrists who are newly-qualified would be that it is not a good idea to start locuming straightaway. I strongly believe that it is a good idea to be a resident optometrist for a period of time so that you can follow-up with patients and learn a lot on the job. I think it is difficult to become good at detecting pathology and knowing what it is when you haven’t been able to follow a patient up.