General Optical Council consults on testing of sight and delegation
The General Optical Council (GOC) is today 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.
Eye care has developed significantly over the past decade or more. This transformation, both within the workforce and through technological advancements, means our 2013 position statement on the testing of sight no longer reflects current practice. By updating the 2013 statement, the GOC seeks to provide clarity for registrants by setting out the relevant legislation, support responsible innovation in sight testing formats, and increase public protection by putting appropriate safeguards in place.
The consultation addresses two main issues:
- Delegation of some parts of the sight test.
- Separation of the sight test by time, person, and/or place.
Delegation of some parts of the sight test
The proposed updated statement confirms that, in relation to pre-screening checks, an optometrist may delegate some parts of the sight test to a suitably trained person, provided the optometrist remains in overall control of the process and oversees the tasks being carried out. The proposed statement would not change the duties and responsibilities of the optometrist, but reinforces their central role in sight testing and better reflects modern clinical practice.
Separation of the sight test by time, person, and/or place
New formats of sight testing have emerged in recent years, notably teleoptometry, bringing both opportunities for improving access to care but also concerns about risks to patients. The proposed updated statement outlines a broad regulatory framework within which registrants can choose to innovate responsibly, whilst also reducing risks to patients by introducing a series of safeguards covering the role of clinical audit, staff training, assessing suitability of patients based on risk, patient choice and consent, and considering patients in vulnerable circumstances.
The proposed updated statement reinforces the legal requirement for sight tests to include both eye health and vision checks and sets out that a spectacles prescription cannot be issued until all statutory components of the sight test are complete.
Updates to the standards on supervision and delegation
The GOC is also consulting on changes to its supervision and delegation standards relevant to the position statement. The GOC particularly wants to hear stakeholder views on options for oversight of unregistered colleagues undertaking delegated activity including if this can be permitted without a registrant being on the premises.
In relation to supervising students, the consultation proposes to retain the current requirement for a registrant to be on the premises, in a position to oversee the work undertaken and ready to intervene.
Steve Brooker, Director of Regulatory Strategy, commented:
“Sight testing has changed significantly since our existing position statement was published in 2013, so we’re bringing it up to date to reflect modern clinical practice.
Our position on delegation reflects expert consensus that certain pre- and post-screening checks can be effectively and safely delegated, as commonly happens now, freeing up optometrists to focus on clinical decision-making and patient care. Our proposals should not require registrants to change their approach in this respect, but we hope the statement will provide welcome certainty for the profession.
On separation of sight test components by time, person, and/or place, we want to support registrants to innovate responsibly, whilst also reducing risks to patients. The draft updated statement includes safeguards in areas like clinical audit, staff training, patient choice and consent, and assessing suitability of patients for sight test formats.
On both delegation and separation, the statement reinforces the central role of the optometrist by specifying that clinical responsibility for the patient and all patient care remains the responsibility of the optometrist conducting the sight test.
Sight tests must include both eye health and vision checks. This feature of the sight testing regime throughout the UK delivers tremendous public health benefits, which we are determined to maintain. The proposed updated statement reinforces this requirement and reminds registrants that a spectacles prescription cannot be issued until all statutory components of the sight test are complete.
Listening to what professionals, patients, and others have told us has shaped our thinking and we’re now ready to test our proposals. Responding to the consultation is your chance to tell us what you think about these important issues.”
The consultation is open for 14 weeks, closing on 21 October 2026. Responses can be submitted via the consultation hub or by contacting [email protected].
