GOC announces launch of new business standards website

The General Optical Council (GOC) has today announced the launch of a new website to support the new Standards for Optical Businesses that came into effect on 1 October 2019.

The website presents the new business standards in an accessible and searchable format, making it easy for optometrists, dispensing opticians and optical business owners to find the information they require. The website hosts supporting guidance, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and videos with top tips about how to apply the standards in practice. The website also includes a blog which will feature interviews with opinion leaders and business registrants.

Alistair Bridge, GOC Director of Strategy said:

"Our new Standards for Optical Businesses came into force on the 1^st October 2019. The new standards reflect the good practice that all optical business owners should follow and we urge all businesses to read them and decide how to apply them in their practice. We also welcome the support of our stakeholders in raising awareness of the standards and publishing guidance for their members.

"We hope that our new standards website will be a useful resource for all registrants and optical business owners. We will be adding content on an on-going basis and welcome feedback about the kind of information they would like us to provide.

"I would also like to encourage anyone who would like to learn more about the new Standards for Optical Businesses to register for our CET accredited webinar on the 24 October. The webinar presents a great opportunity for registrants to engage with us directly."

The new Standards for Optical Businesses replace the previous Code of Conduct for business registrants and reflect changes in optical practice including the use of new technology, expanding scopes of practice and multidisciplinary working. In addition to providing support to optical business owners, business standards also help enhance public confidence. Independent research showed that 84 per cent of patients interviewed said they would rather ‘use an optical business that meets a certain set of standards, than one that does not’.

Visit the Standards microsite

To register for the GOC Business Standards webinar visit: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-6-gE-AkTbqMGR8Q8icjbA

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Communications Team

General Optical Council

t: 020 7307 3478 – option 3

e: communications@optical.org

NOTES TO EDITORS

Bodies corporate using the protected terms ophthalmic optician, optician, dispensing optician and optometrist must register their business with the GOC (Opticians Act 1989).
All optical businesses are encouraged to register with the GOC to promote high standards across the sector and inspire public confidence.
The new Standards were developed following a consultation which ran from June 2018 to August 2018. Read the consultation report
Interviews and focus groups with patients were carried out by independent agency, Pye Tait Consulting, as part of the Standards for Optical Businesses consultation. The full research report can be found on the GOC website.

About the General Optical Council

The GOC is the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. Its purpose is to protect the public by promoting high standards of education, conduct and performance amongst opticians. The Council currently registers over 30,000 optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians and optical businesses.