Section 60 amendments - the new legislative changes

Dr Shehzad Naroo focuses on some of the key amendments to the Opticians Act and explains their practical implications

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Optician 260805 p18   Optician 260805 p19   Optician 260805 p20   Optician 260805 p21  

The recent Section 60 amendments of the Opticians Act will affect numerous aspects of the professional life of opticians. The catalyst for these changes began after the results of The Harold Shipman inquiry in March 2005.

Health Secretary John Reid, in a parliamentary speech at the beginning of the year, laid the foundations of these changes by stating: 'Patients rely on a team of health professionals during their care, not just doctors. Ensuring there are proper measures to test doctors' fitness to practise is only one part of assuring the safety of patients.'

The regulator, the GOC, has a general function, which is to promote the high standards of professional education and professional conduct. The Opticians Act 1989 (Part 1) also states: 'Public protection is implicit in all that the GOC does.' The new amendments mainly focus on five key changes. These are:

Registration requirements, this includes compulsory professional indemnity insurance and they require students to register from the start of the training