OutsideClinic launches recruitment drive

The OutsideClinic has launched its biggest-ever recruitment drive as it seeks to recruit 50 optometrists to join its team.

The expansion has been announced following record growth, the domiciliary provider confirmed, reporting that it is on track to achieve a record £30m turnover in 2021 after experiencing a 50% rise in demand for its services this year.

OutsideClinic plans to increase its optometry team by two-thirds in order to improve both its reach and appointment capacity. As well as growing its optometry team from 75 to 125, it hopes to recruit an additional 13 people in support roles.

The domiciliary provider attributes the growth in demand for its services to the over-65s demographic, with many opting to book home visits rather than visit their High Street optometrist due to COVID-19.

OutsideClinic clinicians currently perform around 100,000 eye and hearing tests in patients’ homes each year.

Referencing Office of National Statistics data, which forecasts that people aged 65 and over will account for almost a quarter of the UK population by 2038, the business is anticipating further growth in the future. Its owner, Optimism Health Group, has aspirations for OutsideClinic to become a business with a £100m turnover in the next five years.

To support its recruitment drive, OutsideClinic has released a series of short videos that aim to share insight into the work of its optometrists and the benefits of working in domiciliary eye care.

Commenting on the recent growth and recruitment drive, OutsideClinic’s managing director, Richard Gibson, explained: “With the over-65 population set to grow significantly, we anticipate demand for our domiciliary optometry services will increase substantially in the coming years and it’s vital we’re able to meet this, while continuing to deliver the gold standard eye care our patients have come to expect from us.”

“Our existing clinicians tell us that domiciliary eye care with OutsideClinic is more interesting and rewarding than anything they’ve done before, so we’re delighted to be in a position where we’re able to offer so many new opportunities to become part of our talented optometry team,” he added.

OT has spoken to Gibson in detail about OutsideClinic’s recruitment drive and future growth plans. Read the interview online later this week.