Further research will be carried out into the impact of the General Optical Council’s future system of student regulation.
It follows a four-month consultation by the GOC on proposals that would mean student optometrists and student dispensing opticians would not need to register.
The GOC said it was currently the only healthcare regulator overseen by the Professional Standards Authority that requires all students to register.
Its research next year will look at concerns raised on the proposal and alternatives such as introducing provisional registration for trainee optometrists during their pre-registration period.
Alistair Bridge, GOC director of policy and communications, said: ‘The proposals under consideration will have a significant impact on optical education, so it is important that we get this right. As a result we are allowing more time to explore the concerns raised in our consultation.’
