Commercial practices and patient safety: a thematic review

Marie Bunby, Policy Manager, discusses the findings from our thematic review into commercial practices and patient safety.

The GOC has published the findings of its first thematic review into commercial practices and patient safety, identifying widespread concerns among registrants about their ability to deliver safe patient care despite high levels of patient satisfaction and public confidence in eye care services 

We commissioned Shift Insight to conduct research to explore how commercial practices in primary eye care may affect patient safety, patient experience and the working lives of individual registrants.

New findings from the GOC's 2026 registrant workforce and perceptions survey show that registrants are cautiously optimistic about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to support eye care, while highlighting a need for greater understanding of the technology and some concerns to be addressed.

The full research report, data tables and infographics from our registrant workforce and perceptions survey 2026.

The GOC is launching a consultation on a draft updated statement on the testing of sight and draft revisions to the supervision/delegation standard in the Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians and the Standards for Optical Students.