Call for evidence on Opticians Act 1989 and consultation on associated GOC policies

The GOC call for evidence on the Opticians Act and consultation on our associated policies closes on Monday 18 July and we encourage all patients, the public, registrants, sector bodies and employers to contribute to the review.

We have released some additional supporting materials to help explain why we’re undertaking it, and outline the current legal requirements and regulations in place.

They include FAQs and two presentations from Marie Bunby, our Head of Strategy, Policy and Co-Production, introducing our call for evidence and looking at the Department of Health and Social Care’s regulatory reforms more broadly.

We hope the supporting materials will help inform stakeholders - including patients, the public, registrants, sector bodies and employers - who are yet to respond.

Launched in March, the call for evidence and consultation offer a unique opportunity for stakeholders to ensure that legislation and regulation are fit for the future.

It seeks views, information and factual evidence on the following:

sight testing;
contact lenses fitting;
supply of optical devices;
business regulation; and
other aspects of legislation.

Supporting materials: presentations

Introduction to the call for evidence on the Opticians Act 1989 and consultation on associated GOC policies

This looks at what the Call for Evidence is, why we’re doing it and what we want from stakeholders.

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) regulatory reforms

Explains why the DHSC want to reform regulation of healthcare professionals, what their proposals are, our position on them, and how our stakeholders can get involved.

Supporting materials: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The FAQs focus on the different regulations and requirements currently in place for registrants that we are consulting on.

Once you have watched and read our supporting materials, please respond to our call for evidence and consultation if you have not yet done so. The closing date for responses is 18 July.