Revalidation: a licence to practise

For some months the General Optical Council (GOC) has been working on the introduction of a revalidation scheme for the optical sector which it is required to do as a result of the government's White Paper, Trust, Assurance and Safety.

Last Friday, the Council published for the first time its draft proposals outlining its approach to such a scheme. One key change that revalidation will bring about is the requirement for all practitioners in clinical practice to hold a licence to practise. It will become a criminal offence to practise without this licence which will be linked to registration. The GOC will seek legislative change to enforce this requirement.