GOC publishes annual report for 2023

We have published our annual report for the year ending March 2023, which sets out our achievements in meeting our strategic objectives of transforming customer service, delivering world-class regulatory practice, and developing a culture of continuous improvement.

Highlights from the report include:

• Meeting all 18 of the Professional Standards Authority’s (PSA) Standards of Good Regulation, a useful assurance that we are meeting our statutory responsibilities as a regulator and protecting the public by upholding high standards in the optical professions.
• Substantial engagement activities across the sector, with our call for evidence bringing forward several critical considerations for the future of the professions and eye health more broadly.
• Launching our optical familiarisation programme which will further develop the GOC’s collective understanding of optical care and service redesign through visiting different practices and settings around the UK.
• Supporting registrants’ continuing professional development (CPD) needs, including publishing two new guides, and recruiting CPD auditors to help support the quality assurance process of the new scheme.
• Supporting providers of GOC-approved qualifications in optometry or dispensing optics to deliver their qualifications to meet the new Education and Training Requirements, to ensure all optical professionals are equipped to deliver eye-care services in a rapidly changing landscape and meet the needs of patients in the future.
• An updated illegal practice protocol to clarify our remit regarding illegal practice and ensure that we deliver the best outcome for the public and the sector under our current legislation.

Alongside the annual report, we have published our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Report for 2022-2023, which highlights our key achievements in our EDI work, sets out the progress we have made against our EDI plan and describes our EDI data, which we collect and publish annually.

View the 2023 Annual Report and EDI report.