Arthur McHugh, West of Scotland:
Having been a member of Optometry Scotland for around 18 years, Arthur is well versed in the power of good that the membership body does, he became an independent rep as he wanted more members to understand the influence Optometry Scotland has when acting as a collective force.
“I personally felt it was important to get involved because despite being a member of Optometry Scotland, I had never been approached by other independent practice members. That’s what prompted my initial thought process of how to be proactively involved on behalf of myself, but also the wider independent community.
“We do things slightly differently to the multiples, be that how we manage our stock, or our internal processes, and I felt it was important to ensure that was being acknowledged. I wanted to be part of the change that brought more independents together in a way that could really benefit us all.”
Colette Dunsmore, South of Scotland:
As an IP optometrist and practice owner, Colette understood that sometimes being an optometrist, particularly an independent, can feel isolating. She became an independent rep to ensure that members felt listened too.
“Before now, independents haven’t had a point of contact, and I think the biggest obstacle to hearing what they had to say is that there was never a clear path to informing us of how they felt.
“I feel I represent independent practice as a member myself, but I want to really know how to be an honest representation of my region, and I can only do that if they let me in to their experiences, which may be wildly different from my own.”
Ian Jarvis, North of Scotland:
An Independent Prescribing and NESGAT qualified optometrist based in Dundee, Ian was inspired to become an independent rep when his son first approached him about pursuing a career in optometry. Ian was pleased when he could offer him the best guidance possible as he embarked on this career path and felt that he could do the same for others.
“To create a real sense of community I think regions need to feel reassured that we are supporting them all-year-round. It’s been great to see more proactive communication coming from the Executive Committee this year as we embark on some exciting prospects, which as always include lobbying but also outreach to students at universities, for example.
“I’m more than happy to help spread the news of the great things we’re getting up to behind the scenes!”
Richard Spruce, East and Central Scotland:
Working as an independent optometrist and splitting his time between practices, Richard understand that the life of an independent is very busy and it can be hard to run a practice and still engage with a wider, more national community. He became an independent rep as he wanted to show members that although the job comes first, engaging with Optometry Scotland add huge value to the industry today.
“OS is a support system for optometrists – both from independent and multiple practices – that is focused on bringing the issues that eye care professionals are facing to government decision makers.
“Things can only improve if we accurately inform the OS executive team of what isn’t working for us.”