For those of you who haven’t come across me yet, I am one of the Recruitment and Visibility Leads for BIOS. Together with Finn Burgum, I have now been in this one-day-a-week seconded role for just under a year. It feels like the perfect moment to share some exciting updates and to thank you all for the incredible work you continue to do to raise the profile of orthoptics and inspire the next generation.
It’s looking up!
The University of Sheffield has experienced a notable surge in high-quality applications through clearing, with entry requirements maintained at grade BBB. The university received a significantly higher volume of strong clearing applicants than in previous years, alongside an increased number of unconditional firm offers prior to A-level results. These trends have contributed to expectations of a substantially larger Year 1 orthoptics cohort. Final student registration numbers are still being confirmed, but the future is very bright!
The University of Liverpool has seen more students listing orthoptics as their firm choice, with a significant increase in clearing interest of over 100 students, highlighting the growing appeal of the profession.
Glasgow Caledonian University is noticing a 15% increase in student applicants this year, with a growing proportion of home students. This reflects a sustainable pipeline of high-calibre students who are well-prepared to contribute to the Scottish workforce.
University College London reports a successful admissions cycle for its postgraduate programme, receiving 51 applications, and making 25% more offers than last year. While final numbers are yet to be confirmed, the team remains hopeful for another strong intake. All 22 students who started last year remain on the course, reflecting excellent retention and a positive outlook for the year ahead.
Shadowing opportunity enquiries are also on the rise, with a 16% increase in placements requested between April-August 2024 and the same period in 2025. We have refined our shadowing forms to capture more about students’ knowledge and aspirations, helping us attract the right candidates. If your department isn’t yet offering shadowing for BIOS, we would love your involvement, so please get in touch. Providing work experience is one of the most powerful ways to spark an interest in the profession for your future local colleagues.
Shining a Spotlight on Orthoptics
Over the summer, we launched our new series of student case studies and FAQ videos to coincide with A-Level results day. The first video tackled the science of orthoptics, the second, due soon, looks at studying orthoptics, and the final video will focus on the orthoptic career.
We have a busy few months ahead with a range of career fairs and events on the calendar, including the Career Development Institute, What Career Live, and the Life and Health Science Careers Event. We’re also developing a dedicated orthoptics career profile for the popular Unifrog platform, helping raise awareness among students exploring career options online in over 60% of schools.
A HUGE thank you to everyone who has supported with the #WePatch campaign. We have absolutely loved seeing all your patching party photos and we’ve been delighted by the wonderful feedback from patients and the public, so keep them coming in. To keep up the momentum, offer our signposting colouring-in sheets in your clinics, and share our new patching social story with patients, bringing back our much-loved Super Eyes cartoon characters!
Getting Ready for AHP Day 14th October
Allied Health Professions Day is fast approaching, and it’s a fantastic opportunity for orthoptics to be visible across as many Trusts as possible. Whether you take part in local events, or organise a careers fair with your AHP colleagues, your involvement really does help showcase the profession. If you’re not sure where to start, link in with your Trust’s AHP lead and communications team to see how you can collaborate. We’d love to celebrate your involvements and showcase the brilliant work you’re doing by sharing your consented photos, so please send them in! We need your help. To mark the day, we are collecting orthoptic patient stories that highlight the real-life impact of orthoptists and the vital contribution we make to the NHS Long Term Plan. Please encourage your patients to share their stories and display our posters (colour / B&W) in your waiting areas to help spread the word.
Join Our Visibility Network
Finally, we greatly appreciate everyone who has already joined our Visibility Champions network. This is a growing community where we share ideas and support each other in promoting the profession, and we would love more of you to be part of it. You can find out more on the BIOS website, where you’ll also be supported with a wide range of career resources, or get in touch with us directly. Sign up to be a visibility champion here.
Our next visibility coffee chat will be held on Monday 27th October from 12:30 to 13:00 via this Google Meet link. We hope to see you there!
Best wishes,
Alis Sejourne
Recruitment and Visibility Lead
visibilityleads@orthoptics.org.uk
