The General Optical Council (GOC) is currently recruiting four new Council members. With two vacancies for optometrists and dispensing opticians, now is a great time to apply.
My term on Council finishes on March 31, 2017 and I’ve found Council membership to be highly rewarding.
The GOC is uniquely placed to influence the standards and scope of delivery of eye care services across the UK. I saw joining the Council as a great opportunity to bring to bear the experience I had gained initially as a front line practitioner and latterly as a business executive, to help shape current and future eye care service delivery.
I’ve really enjoyed the broad range of discussion and debate we’ve had at Council meetings. It has also been fun to work with a great group of people who bring their own different experiences to their role as Council members.
Some parts of the role need more input than others. There’s quite an amount of information to absorb, for example, in commissioned reports or responses to consultations, so it is sometimes a challenge to make sure you have allocated sufficient time to properly consider all the detail. But this means there’s a great capacity for personal growth.
Becoming a Council member is a unique opportunity to gain experience in several areas. Apart from the increased knowledge and understanding I now have of healthcare regulation, I have much better first-hand experience of working as a non-exec and charity trustee. There have also been many training opportunities in a diverse range of areas which I have enjoyed.
If you want to be able to influence the future of our professions for the better then I highly recommend applying.
To apply visit optical.org by November 28.
