Day in the life of a Patient Advisor

Our patient advisors are the friendly face of our clinics, welcoming our patients and supporting them through their journey to crystal clear vision without the need for their glasses and/or contact lenses.

It’s a job that offers so much variety day to day. Here we speak to Erin, a patient advisor in our Glasgow St Vincent Street clinic, about why she chose this role and the many benefits it brings.

What has been your Optical Express journey to date?

I have worked at Optical Express for almost 9 years; I started working here when I left school. My first role was within the Contact Centre booking patients in for sight tests. I then moved on to taking calls from patients and potential patients. This gave me a chance to deal with a lot of various enquiries which expanded my knowledge about the company and the eye care services we offer.

I then worked alongside our Clinical Services team, arranging training for optometrists new to the company and ensuring they had the right materials to get off to the best start at Optical Express. I am now a patient advisor in our St. Vincent Street clinic and feel completely at home. I have been in this role now for just over a year and can honestly say it’s a joy to work here. I love meeting patients in person and taking them through their journey from their initial consultation to seeing the world in a brand new way. I have met some of the nicest people here and it’s a great place to work.

Can you talk us through a typical day in your role?

The clinic is very busy and fast paced, and it can go from dispensing a pair of glasses to checking in a patient for their treatment date. We see patients who are visiting for their initial consultation to assess their suitability for laser or lens eye surgery. When they arrive, we check them in and speak to them about their health and the reasons they are seeking refractive treatment. Once this is complete, we take the patient for screening in which they undergo a series of eye scans help to determine suitability for treatment. The patient then meets with the optometrist who will carry out further tests. Day to day, we will also welcome patients who have come back for their post-operative check-ups and book them in for their future appointments. During surgery days, it’s my job to check the patients in and ensure they have completed all of the relevant paperwork.

What’s your favourite thing about your job?

It is definitely seeing our patients going through their journey to laser/lens surgery with us, from when I first meet them when they come into the clinic for their consultation when they are first considering surgery, to their absolute delight with the results in their vision. Patients can naturally be nervous on their surgery day and when they come back they are over the moon with their results. It’s so rewarding when you can see how genuinely happy they are that we have changed their life.

How have you developed professionally in your role with Optical Express?

I have been given excellent support in terms of training that has helped me hugely in my role. I’ve also learned so much from our optometrists and the surgery team. This knowledge has helped me help our patients by being able to answer their questions and be there for them before and after their treatment with us.

I joined Optical Express with almost no knowledge of eyes and the types of treatment that were available, but now feel confident in my role and being able to help patients using my knowledge and it’s only with the training that I have received that I have been able to do that.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about joining Optical Express?

I would say go for it, 100%. Optical Express is a great company to work for; I have worked alongside some of the nicest people who have become friends for life. There are many different roles within Optical Express, either in clinics or in a support function in our offices. From my own experience, once you join the company there are so many opportunities to grow and focus on doing what you really love. The support and genuine interest in my own development is one of the reasons I have been a part of the team at Optical Express for 9 years.

We’re always keen to speak to motivated individuals for the wide range of roles we offer at Optical Express. Search our current vacancies at Optical Express, or you can get in touch with our friendly recruitment team by emailing careers@opticalexpress.com or call 01236 795146.

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