GOC research reveals ongoing workplace challenges impacting patient care

The General Optical Council (GOC) has published the results of its Registrant Workforce and Perceptions Survey 2024, which found that optical professionals are continuing to face challenging working conditions which are affecting their ability to provide safe patient care.

Overall job satisfaction dipped from 62% in 2023 to 58% this year, and dissatisfaction levels increased from 20% in 2023 to 25%. Most respondents (54%) reported feeling unable to cope with their workload in the last 12 months, and 31% reported finding it difficult to provide patients with a sufficient level of care in the last 12 months.

Despite the dip in job satisfaction, 55% of respondents said there are opportunities for them to develop their career (compared to 56% in the NHS staff survey), and 46% felt supported to develop their potential (compared to 57% in the NHS staff survey). However, respondents reported some barriers to career development, with the most common reasons being time constraints, costs, and lack of employer support.

Respondents voiced concerns about various barriers to delivering safe care linked to the retail environment, including time pressures and short testing times, volume of patients/overbooking/ghost clinics, understaffing and inexperienced/underqualified staff, and sales/commercial pressures/targets.

Levels of harassment, bullying or abuse remain high with 50% reporting this over the last 12 months. The main source of these behaviours was patients and service users, but around one in five respondents reported personally experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from managers or colleagues. Similarly, levels of discrimination also remain high with 31% reporting they had experienced this in the last 12 months.

Both respondents experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse, and those experiencing discrimination, were more likely to find it difficult to provide patients with sufficient care. This indicates that poor working conditions can impact not only on one’s mental health and well-being but also the quality and safety of patient care.

Furthermore, some registrant groups are more likely than others to experience challenging working conditions. For example, experiences of harassment, bullying or abuse, as well as discrimination, were more likely amongst females, registrants with a disability, and registrants from an ethnic minority background. These issues are not unique to the optical sector and other regulators, such as the General Medical Council and General Pharmaceutical Council, have reported similar findings recently.

The survey was conducted by Enventure Research. A total of 4,575 responses were received, representing 15% of the registrant population.

Steve Brooker, GOC Director of Regulatory Strategy, said:

“Our latest registrant survey has highlighted the impact that challenging work conditions can have on optometrists’ and dispensing opticians' ability to deliver safe patient care. It also shows a connection between these conditions and plans to leave the profession.

Last year’s new figures on levels of harassment, bullying or abuse, and discrimination were a wakeup call for the sector so it’s disturbing that incidence has remained just as high in 2024. The joint sector statement we published last year with membership bodies and employers committing to a zero-tolerance approach to these behaviours was a useful first signal of intent, but as a sector we now need to collectively step up and make practical changes to create fairer and more inclusive working environments.

As part of our Standards Review, later this month Council is due to approve tougher standards that will explicitly reference behaviour between colleagues and require optical businesses to put in place support for registrants who have experienced discrimination, bullying or harassment in the workplace.”

See the full report and infographics for more information.