Moneo writes: Keeping up the standards

Last month Verum referred to the new Standards for Professional Conduct. The GOC will have its work cut out as its tries to keep tabs on the implications of them. It has always adopted a reactive stance to problems surrounding certain areas of failing standards. Now it is going to be judged by how well it implements them, and by how it reacts to persistent breaches of them.

I would like to use one example where the GOC may stand or fall after 1st April. Ironically, if it fails to act it will be the duty of every optometrist under regulation 19 to report the GOC to itself!! If the optometrists do not report failings of the GOC that are likely to compromise patient health they will be in breach of the GOC’s own standards!