A Change.org petition calling for the General Optical Council to be investigated by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) has been signed by nearly 7,000 members of the industry, as Optician went to press.
The petition stated that there had been ‘numerous concerns from members of the optical industry that the GOC is not fit for purpose and has a major conflict of interest.’
A GOC statement issued on June 12 said: ‘Opticians in the UK have always been exempted from closure. This means that registrants are able to deliver private eye care including private sight tests.’ This, said the petition’s creator, contradicted earlier advice released in March, which had indicated that routine eye care should be suspended and only delivered to emergency patients or those needing essential care.
‘Many optometrists and dispensing opticians feel let down by the complete lack of leadership and clarity from the GOC throughout the pandemic,’ said the petition’s mission statement.
On June 16, the GOC stated that it was reviewing its statements on the re-opening of optical practices and acknowledged that it had caused confusion. Together with the Association of Independent Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians (AIO) the GOC has this week (June 22) clarified that limiting registrants to only providing essential and urgent, emergency or acute care was applied equally to NHS and privately provided care.
Conflicts of interest
In last week’s In Focus [19.06.20] Optician reported that, in a statement released to its members, the Association of Optometrists said at least one large GOS provider intended to start offering private sight testing on June 15 and explained that the NHS was both aware of this and had accepted it.
The Change.org petition said this had been interpreted as evidence that the GOC has changed its policy to accommodate this multiple. Alleged conflicts of interest on the GOC’s board of directors were also addressed, with the petition’s creator suggesting that policy had been crafted to prioritise the interests of large multiples: ‘Many [registrants] suspect that the large corporate chains were made aware of announcements/guidance before others, hence giving them an advantage by having more time to prepare. Such conflicting advice and lack of clarity during a pandemic is a threat to public safety, something the GOC claims to protect.’
A recent viral video that showed an optician from a large multiple describing their workday and ‘boasting about stealing patients from competitors during the lockdown’ was also referenced. The author suggested that it was beyond the realm of coincidence for the GOC to have amended its position so soon after this video created such a negative response from the profession. Branding it ‘a conflict of interest’ that ‘needs investigating’, the petition highlighted that some members of the GOC council worked as directors for large multiples.
In addition to signing the petition, some members of the profession left comments explaining their feelings. Susan Barlow, an optometrist in Preston, said: ‘There is a conflict of interest compromising integrity and decision-making. These actions make a farce of duty of care for members and the public attending routing appointments, which is clearly non-essential and therefore against government advice.’
Some comments illustrated wider dissatisfaction with the GOC. Giles Price, an optometrist from Boroughbridge, said: ‘I feel the lack of leadership throughout the pandemic is a reflection of the general lethargy demonstrated by the GOC over a number of issues for years. They seem overly concerned at upsetting certain elements within our profession to the detriment of those it should be supporting.’
Response from the sector
Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) general secretary Sir Tony Garrett said: ‘It is very sad that our regulatory body has found itself in this position.
‘I find it very worrying that so many individual registrants feel so aggrieved that they are prepared to sign this petition. Clearly this has been largely supported by optometrists working in the independent sector but a number of ABDO members have added their support.’
Garrett added: ‘At a time when we all need to be totally united in trying to bring the whole sector together and get practices open and looking after patients, this is an unhealthy distraction.’
The PSA has responded to the petition’s calls for it to investigate the GOC, explaining that it is ‘seeking information about the matters raised from the GOC and will make a further statement in response within the next three weeks.’