optometry recruitment in 2025 – the capacity crunch just got louder.

As MD of Talentshed – an optical recruitment business that supports hundreds of optometrists in taking their next career step every month – I get asked this a lot:

“There are nearly 18,000 optometrists on the register, so why is it still so hard to hire?”

Spoiler: It's not about how many people are out there. It’s about how many hours they can (or want to) work – and how there’s growing interest in clinical specialisms. And the latest numbers prove it.

where we really stand?

• 18,000 on the GOC register (as of July 2024)

  
  

• But only around 14,040 full-time equivalents (FTE) once actual working hours are factored in

  
  

• Just 44 % work full-time, with 56 % part-time – the first time we’ve seen part-timers take the lead

  
  

• 29 % locum for at least part of their week – good for flexibility, trickier for rota planning

  
  

• 56 % already deliver enhanced eye-care and 43 % plan to upskill further in the next two years – fuel for specialist clinics if you nurture it

  
  

• Over 1,000 college-accredited higher qualifications awarded in the past year, with Medical Retina overtaking Glaucoma for the first time

  
  

• And nearly 2,000 optometrists now hold the Professional Cert in Glaucoma – that’s a 48% increase since 2021

the long view - a decade of drifting to part-time:

Year	% Full-time	% Part-time	Estimated FTE*
2015	65%	35%	12,099
2021	≈50%	≈50%	–
2024	44%	56%	14,040

So the issue isn't a shrinking register – it's a shifting profession. More people choosing to work part-time. More locum days. More demand for flexibility.

why the professional-certificate boom matters:

Everyone talks about Independent Prescribing (IP) – and rightly so. But these disease-specific certificates are the quiet accelerators. Every Glaucoma or Medical Retina cert holder can safely staff a MECS or AMD clinic without the full IP route. And at 1,000+ awards a year, that’s the quickest way to scale enhanced services on the high street.

three take-aways for big retailers and independents:

1. Be clear on the flexibility you actually offer. A four-day week or “set clinic hours” resonates far more than another bland “full-time preferred” ad – especially when over half the profession is already part-time.

   
   

2. Lead with funded learning. A £1.5 k Professional Cert is a fraction of the cost of an empty clinic list. More importantly, it speaks directly to the 43 % of optometrists keen to upskill.

   
   

3. Make career progression visible – and valued. Two-thirds of dissatisfied optometrists say they don’t feel valued, even though more than half already deliver enhanced services. Create visible, supported pathways (pre-reg ► Professional Cert ► IP ► Clinical Lead), ringfence study time, offer mentoring, and make sure your team knows what’s next for them inside your business.

   
   

turn insight into action:

Attracting and securing optometrists feels harder than ever – and for good reason. That capacity crunch isn’t a myth. With more optometrists working part-time, locuming, or stepping into specialist clinics, filling a vacancy takes more than just posting an ad.

But it also opens up an opportunity to rethink how you hire, train, and retain.

That might mean smarter rostering, clearer progression routes, or putting professional development front and centre.

Rather than a bottleneck, it can be your competitive edge.

And you don’t have to figure it out alone.

Whether you're actively hiring or just want to talk through what’s working (and what’s not), I’m always up for a chat.

Just pop me a message at robert.mould@talentshed.co.uk or give the team a call at 01872 309090.

And if you’re ready to raise a vacancy and get the ball rolling, fill out this quick form and we’ll be in touch.