General Optical Council signs up to Workforce Race Equity Shared Principles
The General Optical Council (GOC) has signed up to the Workforce Race Equity in Health and Social Care: Shared Principles for Regulators to help tackle longstanding racism experienced by health and social care staff.
The shared principles, based on the independent NHS Race and Health Observatory’s Seven Principles of Anti-Racism, bring regulators together around a common commitment to addressing racial inequalities across the health and social care workforce. They focus on strengthening leadership, improving the quality and use of data, and taking evidence-informed action to tackle disparities experienced by ethnic minority professionals.
The GOC is one of nine regulators, who have committed to ensuring improved collective accountability with signatories including the Health and Care Professions Council, Social Work England, General Optical Council, General Pharmaceutical Council, General Chiropractic Council and the General Osteopathic Council.
Leonie Milliner, Chief Executive and Registrar, said:
“Racism and discrimination have no place in healthcare. Addressing racial inequality is essential to building a regulatory environment that is fair, inclusive and trusted, and adopting these shared principles is an important step in strengthening collective action across the sector.
Our Workforce and Perceptions surveys show registrants are experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse and discrimination at their work or place of study. In 2025, 44% of respondents reported they experienced harassment, bullying or abuse at their work or place of study and 29% cent reported they experienced discrimination, in the last 12 months.
Our anti-racism statement embeds anti-racism and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) throughout the GOC. Our EDI strategy is another way we aim to address inequality and prevent discrimination. Both are central to how we regulate, how we engage, and how we support the professions we serve.
We recognise that this work requires sustained focus and collaboration. By working with partners across the sector, we will continue to build our understanding and take practical steps that support a more inclusive and equitable workforce for the future.
Signing up to the principles is part of our wider commitment to ensure optics is a profession where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and is able to thrive.”
