The GOC aimed to approve several items of importance to the profession at its summer meeting yesterday (July 1). Its long-awaited legislative programme, therapeutic prescribing consultation and a code of conduct for registrants were presented to members at the gathering. However, reform to students' insurance procedures and new contact lens regulations still need to be ironed out, and representatives from the Harley Street body will discuss last-minute changes with officials of the Department of Health on July 12. The introduction of an 18-point code of conduct for optometrists and dispensing opticians Ð after two and half years of preparation Ð was a highlight of the GOC meeting yesterday. It will be used as the backbone of education projects, fitness to practise programmes, and 'the way decisions are taken generally as to whether practitioners behaved professionally'. Peter Coe, GOC registrar, said before the meeting: 'We are hoping to put these 18 points in the [GOC] annual report in a pull-out section so practitioners place it on their practice wall.' He said the code applied to individual registrants as the one for corporate bodies still had to 'go through the process'. In another item the Council was made aware that consultation on its legislative change package Ð which includes reforms to increase the GOC's powers to oversee fitness to practise and the sale of plano contact lenses Ð ends on July 31. The new rules are to be enacted in November/December before coming into force in January 2005. Details of the proposed 'modernisation' of the regulation of optical practitioners in the UK, propelled by the Government's NHS Plan, were published in April in the DoH's Reform of the GOC consultation paper. However, there remains concern over proposals about contact lenses Ð a subject which included the promise to regulate the sale and fitting of plano lenses in the DoH's consultation paper. The matter is to be discussed by the DoH and the GOC before the consultation period ends. Also expected to be debated is a clause ensuring that all practitioners Ð including students Ð must be insured. It has been suggested that this could be an unacceptable burden for students and Coe expected comment from the AOP on the matter. 'We are continuing to discuss this,' he said, 'and seeking advice to see whether students are adequately covered by other forms of insurance for their work.' He said the view seemed to be in the educational establishments, that 'those individuals who are supervising them should be the ones who have insurance cover'.