GOC approves specialist qualifications report

The General Optical Council (GOC) has approved the third specialist qualifications output developed by the Sector Partnership for Optical Knowledge and Education (Spoke).

Steve Brooker, GOC director of regulatory strategy, commented: ‘This timely report underlines the importance of specialist qualifications providing optical professionals with the clinical skills needed to treat more patients as the delivery of eye care shifts from hospitals to community settings.’

Titled ‘Enhancing the scope of practice in optical professionals’, the initiative was developed through a series of workshops with sector representatives and focused on specialist qualifications in independent prescribing and contact lens optics.