GOC consults on draft candour guidance

Regulator the General Optical Council (GOC) this week launched a consultation on draft guidance on its standards relating to obtaining valid consent and meeting the duty of candour.

The standards in these two areas came into force in April 2016, but draft guidance has been developed to assist registrants in meeting them. The consultation will run until September 6.

Marcus Dye, GOC head of education and standards, said: ‘It was clear from our standards consultation last year that registrants would like more guidance to help them apply the standards relating to the duty of candour and obtaining valid consent in practice. Candour is a relatively new concept in healthcare and there is a professional responsibility to be open and transparent with patients when things go wrong.’