Opticians Act reform clears the final hurdle

After years of review, committee meetings and consultation, the GOC's long-awaited batch of legislative changes appears to have crossed the final hurdle and is in sight of the finishing line.

Following last week's debate in the House of Lords (News, March 11), the Section 60 Order with its package of legislative changes was commended in the House of Commons last Monday (March 14).

The order covers the important Council arrangements for mandatory CET, its new disciplinary process, compulsory indemnity insurance, registration of students, the fitting of contact lenses and the funding of the Optical Consumer Complaints Service.

Earlier this week, after a half-hour debate led by health minister Rosie Winterton, which included questions from Conservative and Lib Dem party representatives, there was no opposition to the order.

'The order is part of the Government's programme to modernise the way in which health professions are regulated,' said Winterton.

'It updates the legal framework for opticians by following the model that we used for doctors, nurses and other health professionals. Our work is making regulation more responsive to patients' needs and better at protecting them. That is being done not least in response to events such as Shipman and the Bristol children's heart surgery cases.

'The GOC has played a full part in bringing about change and has worked hard with us to develop the proposals in the order,' she said. 'The GOC has also worked with representatives of the optical professions - dispensing opticians and optometrists - and the businesses that employ them. It has, for example, agreed a new code of professional conduct.'

On compulsory CET the health minister said: 'The days are long gone when a health professional gained a lifetime's knowledge before qualifying, and anyone's practice can become stale. The optical professions have responsibly built up a voluntary system of continuing education and training. The order, however, will ensure that all professionals comply. Patients will be protected and will have confidence that the knowledge and skills of the person treating them are up to date.'

GOC registrar Peter Coe, who commented that the entire process had started with a review of the Council's duties nearly a decade ago, was a witness when the order was agreed in committee room 16.

'The Privy Council has agreed to hear the order on March 22,' said Coe. 'The General Optical Council meeting on March 23 should therefore be able formally to "make" the Rules.'

He said a June 30 GOC meeting would be able to approve 'the enabling consequentials to implement the new powers'.