Further restrictions sought to protect vulnerable patients

Professional bodies outlined the reasons for and against adding further activities that should be restricted to registrants of the General Optical Council (GOC) in the call for evidence on the Opticians Act. They considered adding to the list of vulnerable patient groups, which included patients with additional needs, dementia, a learning or physical disability, or an additional sensory impairment.

Legislative change should be sought to prevent non-registrants from dispensing optical appliances to vulnerable patient groups, the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) said in its response.

The professional body noted that this required enhanced skills and knowledge to perform, such as expert communication skills and an understanding of the possible related sight problems experienced by a person with learning disabilities. ABDO said the same level of protection that is currently given to children with learning disabilities should be extended to adults.