A supportive ear

In 2025, the AOP’s confidential, free-phone Peer Support Line (PSL) received 505 call over the 12-month period.

Run by optometry volunteers, the PSL was launched in May 2017 to directly provide a listening and support service.

Having supported practitioners for over eight and a half years, the service, which is available to members and non-members, has taken 2899 calls during this period.

Averaging over 42 calls per month last year, this has increased from 17 in 2022. The three main reasons given for calling for support were: employment (31%), Stress (18.5%), and Clinical (12%). Furthermore, mental health was the reason given by 10% of the calling the service.

The PSL aims to provide practitioners at any stage of their optical career, including students, with the opportunity to talk with a trained, empathetic peer who recognises the pressures of optical practice.

Volunteers provide a listening ear to acknowledge the caller’s experiences and emotions, helping them feel heard and understood

What is the Peer Support Line?

The PSL service is provided by a group of 40 volunteer practitioners who are at the end of the telephone to listen and allow callers to to talk through their problems in a dedicated non-judgemental space. Volunteers are trained AOP members who will not give advice, but will offer other possible sources of support and, where relevant, help callers to reach a resolution.

In 2024, the AOP enhanced the service by introducing a specific call back option that allows students and pre-registration optometrists to request a call back from a pre-registration or newly-qualified optometrist volunteer.

Early carer optometrist, Bilaal Asif, who is a PSL volunteer, said: “It is important to have early career volunteers, as they bring shared lived experience to the role. Callers find it easier to build trust and talk openly with someone whose experience is recent, compared with someone whose recollection of that stage is more distant.”

He described the service as “a non-judgemental space for callers to discuss their thoughts, feelings or any concerns they may have.”

Asif emphasised, “volunteers provide a listening ear to acknowledge the caller’s experiences and emotions, helping them feel heard and understood.”

“This can be particularly valuable during periods of stress or uncertainty. The service is easy to access, and callers receive a timely response, so they feel supported when they reach out,” he shared.

Asif added: “What makes the service more unique is that the early career volunteers on the other side of the phone can relate to the process of becoming a qualified optometrist and the challenges it entails. These often includes working in a busy practice, studying for examinations, and living alone away from friends and family.”

The AOP emphasised that calls are completely anonymous and only a first name or alias will be requested. No issue is too trivial or small.

OT

In a volunteer’s words

Reflecting on the service, PSL volunteer, Ziggy Shah told OT that, “in a profession that can often feel isolating, the PSL is a vital bridge to the optometry community that understands our daily pressures.”

Shah encouraged his male peers to consider using the service if they could benefit. He explained: “While women now make up the majority of the workforce, we still see lower engagement from our male colleagues. Societal expectations of stoicism can make men hesitant to call, but seeking support is a mark of professional strength, not a sign of struggle. The PSL is a confidential safety net where no one has to navigate clinical or personal challenges alone. A single conversation can provide the clarity and resilience needed to move forward with confidence.”

A phone call away

Call 0800 870 8401 to access the PSL. Calls are answered 24 hours a day by an external answering service, with volunteers on duty to return calls between 8am and 8pm.