A peek inside... Edmonds & Slatter Opticians in Leicestershire

What is your role?

I am an optical assistant at Edmonds & Slatter Opticians in Leicestershire.

What do you recall from your first week in practice?

I remember initially feeling very intimidated. My first week at Edmonds & Slatter was my first week in optics, and I remember thinking that there was so much to learn and that I would never get the hang of things. Now I am nearly two years into the job, and I feel like I have more of an understanding of the basics but there is still so much more to learn.

How do you see your role in the patient’s journey?

I like to think of my role as being supportive; from booking initial sight tests, triaging patients, helping them to select their frames, to arranging their collections, it’s important to ensure that they have someone as a point of contact if needs be.

What do you love most about your practice?

The team I work with have all been so patient with me and really helped me, especially through my optical assistant course. They have always been willing to answer as many questions as I have. I also love how, as a company, we use the most up-to-date technology we can, such as using the biometer to measure axial length for myopia management.

What is your favourite moment of the day?

My favourite moment of any day is when someone realises the vision correction that is possible for them, whether that is by a patient collecting their glasses, or a patient using a coloured overlay for the first time. I find it so rewarding to be even a small part of improving someone’s life.

My favourite moment of any day is when someone realises the vision correction that is possible for them

What is one thing you have learnt from someone in your team?

One of many valuable skills, aside from the optics knowledge, that I have been taught is to ensure constant communication, both within the team and with patients. Nothing gets sorted out if people don’t know what is happening, and the two minutes it takes to pass on a message can save hours of frustration and confusion.

I like to think I’m always available if anyone needs some support, work-related or just a daft joke over a cup of tea

If you could help your community understand one thing about eye care, what would you say?

Sight tests are not just about someone’s spectacle prescription and are in fact vitally important to monitor the health of the eyes, particularly with things like the Optomap and OCT imaging that can show much more detail. Through sight tests we can monitor general health, with the eyes being the only place in the body where blood vessels are visible without having to be invasive, plus being able to detect many more things like high blood pressure and signs of diabetes.

What is your next goal?

I am currently exploring my options – whether I progress onto a senior optical assistant course or expand into a small amount of dispensing.

How does your practice support each colleague’s wellbeing?

We have lots of ongoing training and opportunities for personal development, along with lots of social events in order to maintain our strong team relationship.

If you could have one wish for the practice, what would it be? 

My one wish would be to have more rooms. We have hearing care professionals come in a few days a week, and there isn’t always enough room to fit all of us in.

If you had an unofficial title in the practice, what would it be?

I like to think I’m always available if anyone needs some support, work-related or just a daft joke over a cup of tea, so I think it would be to do with that.