The Kirsteen Newman episode

Kirsteen qualified as a dispensing optician in 2009 and has enjoyed a variety of roles over the past 15 years, from practice director through to professional development, training and leadership. Plus, she was a member of the GOC’s education committee along the way.

This episode of The OT Podcast is released during Specsavers’ inaugural #LoveDOWeek, an initiative that aims to celebrate the role of the dispensing optician and raise their profile during a year when the profession is marking its centenary.

Here are four things we learned about Kirsteen, and dispensing, when recording The OT Podcast.

1 #LoveDOWeek established

Kirsteen was a driving force behind the establishment of #LoveDOWeek, a profile-raising initiative that has been developed by Specsavers to celebrate the role of the dispensing optician.

Kirsteen described the campaign as a “passion project,” which grew from the idea of initially having a DO day in celebration of practitioners to a whole week.

#LoveDOWeek began at PAC last weekend and will include activities across Specsavers practices and domiciliary settings. Kirsteen emphasised that the week is much more than a media campaign, highlighting that through the week the whole profession is encouraged to celebrate dispensing opticians in order to raise visibility of the role and showcase their expertise.

2 The dispensing optician path to qualification

Traditionally, the balance and commitment required when training to become a dispensing optician was difficult, with students working by day and studying by night.

Kirsteen highlighted that while this is tough, it also produces highly adaptable practitioners.

“[Dispensing opticians] are very often the person on the shop floor who knows everything that’s going on and can turn their hands to anything that walks through the door. They are the expert communicator, the problem solver,” she said.

In recent years, Kirsteen was involved in the establishment of an apprenticeship route to qualifying as a dispensing optician, which took seven years to develop – she chaired the trailblazer group that developed it.

Launched in August 2025, the training model sees students work and earn alongside their studies with 20% of their working time allocated to study.

For Kirsteen the introduction makes the profession more accessible, which was always her aim.

3 Dispensing optics and the future

Kirsteen believes dispensing opticians will play an increasingly important role as the clinical landscape of optometry changes.

Kirsteen highlights myopia management and paediatric eye care as key areas in practice where dispensing opticians can expand their contribution.

“I think the dispensing optician is very well placed to be leading the way with myopia management. We’re already very passionate about paediatrics. It was a large proportion of our role prior to myopia management coming around,” she said.

Commenting on the partnership between optometrists and dispensing opticians when reflecting on the changing clinical landscape of the profession, Kirsteen said: “The partnership between optometrists and dispensing opticians is going to be valued even more.”

“I think the strongest model from my experience is a genuine clinical partnership. I think the optometrist and the dispensing optician have different expertise, but the customer should experience one professional team,” she added.

4 From forensic science to dispensing

As an undergraduate Kirsteen studied forensic science at the University of Aberdeen, initially intending to pursue a career in the field.

During her studies, Kirsteen worked Saturdays at her local Specsavers. Following her graduation, Kirsteen’s practice manager offered to support and fund her training as a dispensing optician – and the rest is history. Kirsteen credits this support for grounding her interest in career development, for herself and dispensing opticians overall.

Following practice ownership, Kirsteen moved into professional development and became involved in developing career pathways to support people to enter and progress in the profession.

“I was really passionate about professional development and a career in optics because it had opened so many doors for me, and had really given me an opportunity where I didn’t see any at the time,” she said.

“I really wanted to do that for other people,” she added.

The OT Podcast

OT will release a new episode of The OT Podcast bimonthly. You can listen to The OT Podcast on our website, or via all the main podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Castbox. Be sure to catch-up and listen to other episodes, featuring experts including Imran Hakim, Richard Stead, Dame Mary Perkins, and Dr Byki Huntjens.

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