Workforce changes

19 August 2022
Summer 2022

Becky McCall asks how shifts in working practices caused by the COVID-19 pandemic might change the ophthalmic services workforce.

In the wake of sweeping changes to the global labour market during the COVID-19 pandemic, the “great resignation” is underway: more than 47 million workers in the US voluntarily left jobs in 2021 (Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis, 2022), as did one in every five Australians (National Australia Bank, 2022). A survey of employees in Australia, Canada, Singapore, the UK and the US showed that 40% were “somewhat likely” to leave their job in the next three to six months; that figure was 36% in the healthcare sector (McKinsey, 2021).

The British Medical Association cites demand and burnout exacerbated by the pandemic as the reason a significant number of UK doctors are considering leaving the profession, reducing their hours or taking early retirement (BMA, 2021), with as many as 53% of us now prioritising our health and wellbeing over work (Microsoft, 2022).

Sign in to continue

Forgotten password?
Register

Not already a member of The College?

Start enjoying the benefits of College membership today. Take a look at what the College can offer you and view our membership categories and rates.

Related further reading

The UK had been excluded from the scheme due to dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

For the very last issue of Optometry in Practice, Professor Jonathan Jackson MCOptom reflects on the past two decades of the journal and its contribution to our learning.

This paper describes how viruses infect, reproduce and damage cells. Knowing this process is critical for understanding how to treat ocular viral infections.