Calling All Clinics: Help Shape the Next Generation of Optometrists

Let’s be honest for a second. If practices don’t step up and invest in pre-reg talent, where exactly is the future of UK optometry meant to come from?

Whether you run an independent practice, manage a multiple, or recruit for a hospital setting, this is your gentle nudge. The profession needs you. Not in a vague, fluffy way. In a real, practical, right-now way. Students need quality placements, proper support, and clinics willing to open the door.

At NeedAnOptom Healthcare, we know how much good training matters. We’ve seen what happens when a pre-reg lands in the right environment, and we’ve also seen the missed opportunities when great practices hold back because they assume posting a placement will be a faff.

It doesn’t have to be.

That’s exactly why we built the Pre-Reg Placements Forum.

It’s not just another recruitment page. It’s a simple, free space where optical practices can post pre-reg placement slots and connect with motivated students across the UK.

True. No hidden fees. No "premium" tiers. Just real connections.

To the Clinics: This is Your Chance to Give Back

Let’s have a look at the bigger picture. Every experienced optometrist started somewhere. Every confident clinician was once the nervous new starter hoping someone would give them a proper shot.

By posting your pre-reg slot on our forum, you’re doing more than filling a future vacancy. You’re helping shape the next generation of optometrists. You’re giving a student the chance to learn well, build confidence, and enter the profession with the right habits from day one.

And yes, there’s a practical upside for you too.

Our forum helps you:

1. Reach motivated pre-reg students directly: No fluff. No unnecessary barriers.
2. Showcase your practice properly: Whether you’re an independent, multiple, or hospital team, students can see what makes your setting different.
3. Reduce the hassle: Posting a slot is simple, quick, and completely free.
4. Build for the future: Today’s pre-reg could become tomorrow’s valued optometrist, colleague, or long-term team member.

If you’ve been thinking, "We should probably offer a placement this year," take this as your sign. The future of the profession won’t build itself.

A Short Note for Students

If you’re a pre-reg student reading this, yes, this is for you too.

The Pre-Reg Placements Forum gives you a practical way to find placement conversations with independents, multiples, and hospital teams across the UK. But it’s important to recognise that the forum works best when you follow the full NeedAnOptom Healthcare candidate pathway rather than dipping in and hoping for the best.

Your required candidate pathway

1. Speak with Alex: Start by having a conversation with Alex so you can get clear on your options and next steps.
2. Upload your CV: Make sure your CV is ready, up to date, and uploaded so your profile reflects you properly.
3. Register on the NeedAnOptom Healthcare system: Complete your registration here: https://needanoptom.com/signup/.
4. Apply to SCAN through the live Clinical Exchange page: Go to https://needanoptom.com/clinical-exchange/ and follow the live process there.
5. Post or respond in the Pre-Reg Placements Forum: Don’t just lurk. Put yourself forward or reply when a suitable placement appears.
6. Keep checking the forum for responses from practices: This matters. Opportunities move quickly, and a slow reply can cost you a great placement.

Why use our forum?

1. Direct Connections: You can post or respond in a space where practices are actively looking to connect.
2. Diverse Options: Whether you want the fast pace of a multiple or the clinical depth of an independent, you can explore different settings.
3. Supportive Ecosystem: SCAN is part of the wider Clinical Exchange community, so you’re stepping into something bigger than a single listing page.

Part of Something Bigger: The Clinical Exchange

You might have heard us mention the Clinical Exchange. It’s our wider ecosystem, and SCAN sits within it as a community engine that helps bring the right people together across the profession.

The Pre-Reg Placements Forum is an important part of that bigger picture. It helps connect practices that want to give back with students who are ready to learn. For clinics, it’s a chance to play a direct role in strengthening the profession. For students, it’s a foot in the door to the wider optical community, especially when you follow the full NeedAnOptom Healthcare pathway first.

Placements with a Purpose

We believe that as a community, we should give back. That’s why we launched the Place with Purpose initiative.

We’ve partnered with Vision Action, an incredible charity working to provide eye care to those who need it most. When we make permanent placements, a portion goes to support their vital work. And for the locums and students in our community? We’ve made it easy for you to contribute too.

It’s about more than just filling a slot. It’s about making an impact. When your practice supports a pre-reg through our forum, you’re taking part in something bigger than day-to-day recruitment. You’re helping strengthen the profession and contribute to a wider cycle of care that extends far beyond the UK.

Pay It Forward

Take a second and think back. Remember your lucky break? That first person who gave you a chance, backed your potential, or opened the door when you were just starting out?

Most people in optics can point to someone.

Now it’s your turn.

Posting a pre-reg slot on our forum is completely free. No charge, no catch, no awkward small print. Just a simple way to give an aspiring optometrist their shot and help move the profession forward.

And the only thing we ask? If the placement works out and you feel good about the match, please consider making a voluntary donation to Vision Action. That’s it. Not a fee. Not an obligation. Just a genuine pay-it-forward gesture to help provide eye care to communities who need it most.

It’s a small reminder that one opportunity can ripple outward. A chance for a student. A boost for your practice. Support for a charity doing vital work. Good energy all round.

How It Works (It’s Really This Simple)

We promised no jargon, so let’s keep it punchy:

1. Head to the Hub: Visit the Pre-Reg Placements Forum.
2. Sign Up: It takes about two minutes. (We timed it. Okay, maybe three if you’re a slow typer).
3. Post Your Slot: Tell students about your placement opportunity, your setting, and what makes your practice a great place to learn.
4. Connect: Start the conversation with motivated pre-regs.

Students can browse the listings too, of course. But the key here is simple: if practices post quality opportunities, everyone wins. No complicated algorithms, no hidden costs. Just a straightforward way to help the next wave of optometrists get started.

Let’s Get Started

If you’re a practice owner, manager, or employer, consider this your reminder.

The next generation of UK optometrists won’t appear by magic. They need practices willing to invest a little time, open a few doors, and offer the kind of placement that sets someone up properly. And if you can do that without cost or hassle? Even better.

Don't let the "we’ll sort it later" mindset hold you back. The solution is right here. We’re NeedAnOptom Healthcare, a boutique agency that genuinely cares about long-term success, strong matches, and the future of British optometry.

Ready to post your pre-reg placement slot?

Explore the Pre-Reg Placements Forum Now!

We can’t wait to see your practice help the next optometrist get started.

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NeedAnOptom Healthcare: Run by Opticians, for Opticians. Supporting the UK optical sector with heart, soul, and a little bit of pink.