2024 archived consultation: revised Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians, Standards for Optical Students and Standards for Optical Businesses

This consultation was previously hosted on our consultation hub. We have moved it here as part of archiving.

We asked

We sought views on changes to our Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians, and our Standards for Optical Students. We also sought views on consequential amendments to our Standards for Optical Businesses, to ensure they align with the individual standards.

We last consulted on our standards in 2015, with changes coming into effect in 2016. Since then, the sector has evolved in response to changing patient expectations, enhanced clinical responsibilities and technological developments.

The purpose of the review was to:

make any necessary updates to the current standards that reflect changes to practice and changing patient expectations;
ensure that the current standards are fit for purpose; and
ensure that the standards reflect the current context within which registrants practise, students are trained, and businesses operate.

You said

We received 39 written consultation responses from a range of stakeholders including optometrists, dispensing opticians, students and representative bodies.

Stakeholders were generally supportive of the proposed revisions to the standards and agreed that we had addressed some important topics as part of the review. Where feedback was received that was beyond the scope of the review, this will be revisited as part of our forthcoming review of the Standards for Optical Businesses or fed into our other relevant workstreams where appropriate.

Stakeholders provided detailed feedback on specific standards, and in addition provided broader feedback and suggestions for review on the following key areas:

The use of terms ‘must’ and ‘should’ to ensure we set standards which are appropriate and proportionate.
The brevity and succinctness of the proposed revisions to improve clarity and to only make changes where absolutely necessary.
Whether we should define terms such as ‘professional judgement’ to aid interpretation.
The alignment of language to relevant legislation to ensure our expectations are consistent with the law.
The appropriateness of aligning language with that used by other regulators to set consistent standards of behaviour across the health professions.
The level of detail provided and whether it is sufficient to enable registrants to apply the standards in practice.
The need for additional guidance and/or training to accompany the revised standards.

We did

We reflected on all the feedback we received and made the following revisions to our standards post-consultation:

Improved clarity around the interpretation of leadership in practice, emphasising supporting the education and training of others.
Improved clarity around expectations of registrants managing patients in vulnerable circumstances, including consideration of vulnerabilities as part of each consultation.
Amended wording around protected characteristics to ensure alignment with relevant equalities legislation.
Increased emphasis on referencing relevant legislation, and additional requirements where practising in national health services.
Emphasis on ensuring that patients are aware of who will be providing their care, and expectations of registrants around communication.
Development of two separate standards on maintaining appropriate professional boundaries, including prohibiting conduct of a sexual nature with patients.
In relation to the health of registrants and the new standard on serious communicable diseases, we have included that registrants and employers should refer to public health guidance where appropriate.
Ensured the promotion of better workplace cultures by explicitly referencing inclusive behaviour between colleagues and ensuring employers support staff who have experienced discrimination, bullying or harassment in the workplace.
Removed emphasis on all businesses adhering to GOC standards (where they are not business registrants).

The revised standards are now available on our website here. These came into effect on1 January 2025.

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Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.