Amandeep Tatra: “I am always looking to try and improve as a clinician”

I started by studying medical neuroscience at university.

I sat in a lot of lectures on the eye as part of the neuroscience course, and that was when I discovered that I was red-green colour deficient. As part of the course, I did a few presentations on myopia, and took my interest in vision forward. I explored studying optometry from there.

I completed my optometry degree at what was then City, University of London, from 2013 to 2016.

During university, I was working weekends at my local Specsavers in Woolwich, South London. I later completed my pre-registration placement with the same practice.

After four or five years in total at Specsavers, I went to Boots Opticians in Victoria.

I decided to practise in central London because I wanted a bit of change. I enjoyed Boots Opticians. It was busy, and faster paced than what I had experienced in Woolwich. There was quite a different mix of patients, including younger people. I wouldn’t really see families – it was mainly working age-adults. But the travel got to me, and after two years of commuting to central London, I was getting quite tired.

I moved to work closer to home, at Optical Express.

I wanted to try something different to routine eye testing, and get some experience in laser and fitting intraocular lenses. I learned those skills at Optical Express, which was something completely different. I was with Optical Express for two years.

I got married at that point, and moved on from Optical Express.

I wanted to cut down my working days – I wanted to work a bit less, and have a bit of a break. I joined my first independent practice, Glasses Lab, which has three locations. Working at an independent practice was completely different to working at a multiple. The practice stocked a very unique glasses range, and I enjoyed working with the team there. I was in Greenwich mostly, and sometimes in the Bromley branch.

I also went part-time with CHEC in New Cross, South East London.

I completed my independent prescribing (IP) qualification at that point, and I needed a hospital placement. CHEC provided me with a placement and then offered me a part-time position. I juggled both, CHEC and Glasses Lab, where I was also part-time.

At CHEC, I was mainly focused on cataract work, and was later introduced to and trained in YAG laser.

You don’t get to do that in community eye care. I am always looking to try and improve and do different things as a clinician. Doing the same thing over and over again is an easy way to burn yourself out.

I worked part-time at CHEC and Glasses Lab for two years, and then moved house, out of Charlton and down towards Kent.

In Kent, I joined Evolutio. The role with Evolutio allowed me to utilise my IP skillset in a way I hadn’t always been able to previously. It pushed me further: I was sponsored to complete my glaucoma qualification. The continued education available with Evolutio was welcome. That role allowed more use of my clinical skills.

Alongside working at Evolutio, I joined Linklater & Gothelf Opticians in Welling, which is part of the independent group, R Woodfall.

Having both roles is a good balance. With Evolutio especially, I’m learning a lot, because we’re consultant-led. We have access to training with the lead consultant, who will offer cases and general training for what we might need, including in glaucoma, red eye, or other eye conditions.

It feels nice when you manage to help someone out when they haven’t been taken seriously by another medical professional

At Linklater & Gothelf Opticians, we are involved in a range of community contracts.

These include the minor eye conditions service, paediatric referral refinement, and cataracts. We are all involved in everything, and I’m doing quite a lot of different services. As I enjoy the clinical side the most, that variety in my day makes it more enjoyable, rather than performing mainly standard sight tests.

I also do occasional evening triage shifts, through Primary Ophthalmic Solutions.

It was an opportunity that came up, and I just thought, ‘why not try it?’ The way it’s set up, it doesn't mean I’m doing it every week – it could be once every three weeks.

My various roles complement each other.

When I’m managing different eye conditions, or seeing referrals from triage, I can quite easily judge where it needs to go – if it needs to be seen in a hospital, if it can be managed in community, or if we just need more information. It’s nice to combine what I’ve learned and what I’m doing day-to-day.

In the future, I want to continue developing clinically, completing more professional courses.

I’m exploring completing a diploma in glaucoma – my next aim is to achieve that, and then go further. Things will be changing within Evolutio. Currently scanning laser ophthalmoscopy is only done by consultants, but I believe that in the next few years we might be involved in that. So, it’s being able to get training on that, and on doing selective laser trabeculoplasty too.