Patient and public research into reforming the GOC’s system of optical business regulation
This research was commissioned as part of the 2024-25 consultation to gather public and patient views on the GOC’s proposed optical business regulation reforms, ensuring they align with public expectations, improve trust, confidence and transparency, and enhance public protection.
The research, which consisted of qualitative research and an omnibus survey, sought to understand how people perceived business regulation, their experiences with optical services, and their reactions to the proposed reforms.
The research provides insights across four broad areas of reform:
- Expanding regulation - Bringing all optical businesses under GOC regulation, including those currently unregistered, to close public protection gaps
- Head of optical practice - Introducing a designated person within each business responsible for ensuring compliance with regulatory standards
- Consumer redress - Requiring all businesses to participate in an independent consumer redress scheme
- Enforcement and fines - Granting the GOC greater powers to issue higher fines where necessary
