View from ABDO: Are you clear on the new GOC Standards of Practice?

Dispensing opticians and optometrists renewing their GOC subscriptions have had, for the first time, to declare that they have read and understood the new GOC Standards of Practice effective from 1 April.

An aspect of the new standards that requires their attention is section 9 – supervision. For restricted functions the supervising registrant, if delegating a task such as paediatric dispensing, must be on the premises and in a position to intervene. All parts of dispensing from handover to final collection and including any subsequent aftercare, repair or replacement are considered to form part of the supply of optical appliances. But what does ‘delegate’ mean?