Category: Professional

During the month of November, starting on Monday 4th, we are conducting a full UK-wide Workforce Activity Survey.

Run every two years, the survey is of significant importance to ensure that we have a clear profile of the current workforce and their clinical and non-clinical activity.  This will be used to help discussions at local, regional and national levels and provide clear benchmarking data along with future predictions of workforce for the profession.

Heads should have received all of the documentation by email, but this is available to download from this page.

This survey is not just for BIOS members but all Team Members on your Orthoptic establishment and it is crucial that we receive a completed analysis from every team in the UK.  In return the data sheets are set up with pivot tables to provide you with an immediate departmental analysis for your own benefit.

If you have any questions about the survey please email workforcesurvey@orthoptics.org.uk.

Download documentation:

Workforce Team Input

Workforce BIOS Return

BIOS Return Guidance

Team-Input Guidance

We are requesting your support again in running the next Workforce Survey Questionnaire. This time, we are running it earlier in the year, so that we can gather more robust data over the full 2023-2024 financial year.

The survey should hopefully take you no more than an hour. We’ve extended the deadline for responses to ensure we have the level of response required to draw firm conclusions about the orthoptic workforce. We’re now asking for completed questionnaires to be returned to us by Friday 12 July 2024.

We are requesting a Head or Lead Orthoptist Questionnaire – this is completed by the Head of Service of Professional Lead for Orthoptics and provides an overview of orthoptic services, including future staffing needs. This can be downloaded here.

We have also sent out a letter with full documentation to all Heads and Leads in the UK.

If you have any questions about the survey please email workforcesurvey@orthoptics.org.uk.

Download documentation:

Head or Lead Orthoptist Questionnaire

NHS Improvement have recently posted a new online discussion, giving AHPs the opportunity to voice their ideas on how the NHS can best maximise the impact of our workforce across the system.

Back in January, the NHS published its Long Term Plan, broadly laying out how it will look to develop over the next ten years to best provide a service fit for the future. There was much to be positive about, including commitments to increasing investment in CPD and taking steps to promote flexibility and career development. However, much of the success of the wider Plan will depend upon having sufficient workforce to deliver on its objectives.

The Long Term Plan will therefore be supported by a Workforce Implementation Plan, due to be published in the Spring. This online discussion therefore forms part of a wider stream of work by NHS Improvements exploring how they can ensure the necessary supply, development and retention of the AHP workforce to implement the Plan.

This is an excellent opportunity for Orthoptists to contribute to a discussion of how we can maximise our impact at a time when there is the potential for real change. Please do take this opportunity to sign up and contribute your ideas.

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How can you help?

Have your say about how the NHS can ensure a sufficient supply of Orthoptists here.

Orthoptic Managers, read this guide and ensure that your staff numbers are recorded correctly.