In Focus: Consulting and reviewing

The General Optical Council’s (GOC) Education Strategic Review (ESR) was launched in late July to gather views on proposals to update GOC requirements for qualification as a dispensing optician or optometrist. The proposed updates included which qualifications would be approved by the GOC as acceptable routes to GOC registration.

In consulting on the ESR, the GOC sought specific comments on proposed documents including Outcomes for Registration, Standards for Approved Qualifications, and Quality Assurance and Enhancement Method.

A GOC statement explained that the proposed documents will replace the GOC’s current Quality Assurance Handbooks for optometry and dispensing opticians, including the required core competencies students must meet, the numerical requirements for students’ practical experiences, and related education policies and guidance.