Recruitment is a key challenge facing optical businesses today, according to the results of the first-ever survey of General Optical Council (GOC) business registrants, with independents particularly facing “difficult times ahead”.
A total of 214 registered businesses, representing seven per cent of the registered business population, responded to the survey carried out between 7 December 2023 and 31 January 2024.
A range of questions covered three key areas: innovation and technology adoption; business performance and challenges; and training, regulation and industry standards.
Innovation was common across registered businesses with an increasing uptake of digital technologies. However, workforce pressures were a key business challenge, with concern about the future of primary eyecare.
When asked about innovation in clinical services, 73 per cent of business respondents said they had introduced a new or improved clinical service to patients over the last three years.
Drivers of innovation had been patient-centric, with 99 per cent of respondents saying that improving customer experience was a reason behind their decision to innovate, and 92 per cent giving patient demand for new services as a reason.
Businesses that had innovated found the greatest benefits to be attracting new patients (68 per cent) and having increased revenue from existing patients (52 per cent).
Technology adoption was expected to grow, with a quarter of respondents planning to use artificial intelligence (AI) and LiveChat/virtual assistants in the next two years.
Looking at business performance, 51 per cent of businesses had experienced growth last year, and 55 per cent anticipated further growth in the next 12 months.
When it came to challenges, workforce pressures were a key issue, with 67 per cent saying they had difficulties recruiting staff and 76 per cent having used locums at least occasionally over the past year.
There was also uncertainty about the future, with only 40 per cent agreeing or strongly agreeing with the statement: ‘I am optimistic about the future of primary eyecare,’ and most agreeing they expect difficult times ahead for the industry.
The situation was different for independent practices than for multiples over a range of metrics. For instance, only half of independent practices expected to grow in the next 12 months in comparison with 61 per cent of multiples.
Independents were less likely to use certain technologies, such as interactive websites, virtual assistants and autorefractors, and were more than twice as likely as multiples to have had more than 70 per cent of their sight tests funded by the NHS.
Steve Brooker, GOC director of regulatory strategy, said: “We carried out this survey to understand more about the businesses we regulate and the issues they face. The results will help us see how regulation may need to adapt to support businesses, and meet the needs of patients in a changing landscape, and contribute towards a review of business regulation we are currently undertaking.
“It is positive to see so many businesses introducing new services, innovating in service delivery and planning to use new technologies over the coming years, and we will continue to support them to innovate in a responsible way. However, we are alert to concerns, with businesses telling us they have problems recruiting staff and many expecting difficult times ahead for the industry.
“We would like to thank businesses for taking the time to respond to our survey. We plan to repeat the survey on an annual basis to continue to inform our work and to see how trends develop and change over time,” added Steve.
View the full findings from the GOC’s survey of business registrants here.