GOC renews backing for community eye care services

The General Optical Council (GOC) has said it will work with the optical sector to aid the provision of community based eye care services.

Research conducted by the regulator found that although 97% of patients reported high levels of satisfaction in the care provided by their optician, there was still a number of barriers to overcome before the shift to community based healthcare can take place.

Its recent survey of over 4,000 registrants showed only a third of patients and the public view opticians as healthcare providers, with 45% of opticians having faced pressure to meet commercial targets at the expense of patient care.