How to become a locum optometrist in the UK
Step-by-step guide to becoming a locum optometrist in the UK: GOC registration, NHS Performer Number via PCSE, MECS / glaucoma accreditation, Independent Prescribing, and the IR35 reality at corporate multiples.
A locum optometrist covers clinical work on a session-by-session basis for the organisations that need them, as a self-employed professional rather than a salaried employee. This guide walks through everything you need to do to start, in order, and the common pitfalls that catch people in their first year.
Prerequisites: GOC registration as an Optometrist, and the right to work in the UK. Regulator: General Optical Council (GOC).
Typical UK locum optometrist rate (2026): high street day rate £350–£500, independent £380–£550, domiciliary £400–£600 + mileage, IP premium +£50–£100/day.
Step-by-step
- 1
GOC registration post Pre-Reg
You need GOC registration as an Optometrist after your Pre-Registration year and OSCE. Re-register annually. The GOC moved from the old CET scheme to MyCPD post-2022: 36 CPD points over a 3-year cycle, across a mix of interactive, peer, and personal learning.
- 2
Apply for an NHS Performer Number
In England, General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) work requires a Performer Number via Primary Care Support England (PCSE) – budget 4–10 weeks. Scotland uses eOphthalmic, Wales and NI separate arrangements. Without this you cannot claim NHS sight tests.
- 3
Join AOP for indemnity
AOP membership includes £10M indemnity cover and is the dominant choice for locum optometrists. College of Optometrists membership is separate. Corporate employers may provide indemnity for their own work but individual cover protects you for scope outside their policies and for domiciliary / private work.
- 4
Accredit for enhanced services
Most of the uplift beyond core sight tests comes from LOCSU-accredited enhanced services: MECS (Minor Eye Conditions), glaucoma repeat readings, pre- and post-op cataract follow-up. These each require a specific accreditation course plus listing on the local ICB contract. MECS sessions pay £60–£120 on top of sight-test fees.
- 5
Consider Independent Prescribing (IP)
IP qualification is £3,000–£5,000 and takes 6–12 months. It unlocks prescribing at practices running IP clinics and adds £50–£100/day to locum rate. Demand is rising; not yet standard, but increasingly expected at progressive independents.
- 6
Register with locum platforms and corporate desks
Optilocum, OLA (Optometry Locum Alliance), LocumBlue, and AOP Jobs are the main platforms. Specsavers, Boots Opticians, Vision Express, and OutsideClinic (domiciliary) all run their own locum desks directly. Rural midweek rates have softened; weekends and short notice hold premium.
- 7
Plan for IR35 status at corporate bookings
Optometry locuming is one of the most established genuinely self-employed markets in UK healthcare – you bring independent clinical judgement and move between practices. But since April 2021 private-sector IR35 reform, corporates are responsible for status determinations. Specsavers and Boots often move extended bookings to umbrella / PAYE. Ltd Co is fine for genuinely short, multi-site locum work.
Documents to have ready
- GOC registration certificate
- NHS Performer List confirmation (PCSE)
- AOP membership + indemnity certificate
- MyCPD log
- Independent Prescribing (IP) qualification certificate (if held)
- MECS / glaucoma / cataract accreditation certificates
- Enhanced DBS
- Safeguarding training
- Two references
Keep expiry dates tracked. Sessional sends reminders 30 days before each document lapses.
Common first-year pitfalls
- Performer Number delay collapsing day-one earnings. You’re GOC-registered but cannot claim GOS
- IR35 inside determinations at corporates on extended bookings catching Ltd Co locums by surprise
- Unfamiliar PMS software slowing throughput and increasing record-keeping error risk
- Missing MECS accreditation and doing enhanced clinic work for the core GOS fee
- Failing to check equipment calibration and pre-test competencies at an unfamiliar practice. Locum carries clinical responsibility
Keep the admin painless from day one
Sessional tracks every session, invoice, expense and document so you spend your evenings with family, not spreadsheets. Free to start.
Related
Last reviewed April 2026. Rates and regulator details change. If something looks off, let us know.