GOC standards ‘do not make a rule book’

New standards of practice for optometrists and dispensing opticians have been published by the General Optical Council (GOC), which will come into effect from April next year.

A separate set of standards has also been published for optical students, and the GOC said it would update its code of conduct for business registrants ‘to make clear that businesses should support their employees in meeting their obligations under the new standards’.

Among the changes, now published online, is the requirement to promptly raise concerns about patients, colleagues, employers or other organisations if patient or public safety might be at risk. Optical professionals were also told to ensure the environment and equipment they used was hygienic and correctly maintained.