Do I have to schedule my own appointments in domiciliary?

The simple answer is, ‘no’. Here’s how it works with OutsideClinic.

It all starts out just like in most practices – with a marketing team that sends out reminder letters, posts on social media or advertises locally. How else will people know that they can be seen by you? Once the patients know you exist, they (or their relatives or friends on their behalf) may call up to book an appointment. This call is handled by your reception team who will then find a suitable slot in the diary and book an appointment. Here’s where things are slightly different at OutsideClinic HQ.

We have an entire scheduling team who are busy every day accepting calls for patients needing their eyes tested. However, since these patients cannot come to us, the team has to be savvy about when and how they arrange appointments for them. So, when the schedulers receive calls, they will group patients into postcode areas. Once there are enough patients in and around your postcode, that day will be scheduled for you. This schedule is sent to you two weeks in advance, and any tweaks are updated the night before. So as the optometrist, you always know where you will be going first thing the next morning and your patient will know to expect you.

Your first patient will be advised of your approximate arrival time, and the subsequent patients will be given an estimated time slot. This works best for both the optometrist and the patient as it allows some flexibility. It means you are not rushing to get through your first appointment worrying about what time you will reach the next. Some patients will inevitably need more time than others, and it usually balances out perfectly throughout the day. If you are running particularly over with someone, don’t panic – our scheduling team are on hand to let your next patient know that you may be a little later than anticipated, or can reschedule patients for you if needs be.

Our head office support teams are there to make your day run as smoothly as possible so that you can focus on what you do best. Next week, find out about our Clinical Services team and how they help with the smooth running of your day. In the meantime, check out our nationwide opportunities here.