In focus: Council shakes up registration and fitness to practice

Business registration has been a troublesome topic in recent years for the General Optical Council. In 2013, the regulator told Specsavers it had to register all its practices after a story in Private Eye found that many were operating without registration. Unregistered, often overseas, online retailers falling outside of the Council’s jurisdiction has also been a point of contention for many within the profession.

A draft presented to Council members at a meeting last week sought to address concerns relating to business registration and to introduce positive behavioural change within the optical profession. The draft will form the basis of a public consultation scheduled for launch later this year and will be implemented in early 2019.