As a regulator it is important that we are accountable and open to scrutiny. Optician readers, most of whom pay registration fees to us, deserve that, and we are ultimately accountable to Parliament as well.
One of the main ways we are held accountable is through the annual reviews by our oversight body, the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Each year they judge us against their 24 standards of good regulation, looking at our processes for our core functions of setting standards, quality assuring education, maintaining our register and handling complaints.
This year we met 22 of their 24 standards - an improvement from 21 last time with the PSA recognising significant improvements we have made in how we maintain our register of 29,000 practitioners, students and businesses. We continue to work hard to improve in the two areas where we did not meet the standards - information governance and the time we take over complaints.
But the PSA themselves are now considering making changes to the way they report on the GOC and our fellow healthcare professional regulators. This summer they’re consulting on potential ways they might alter the process - we’ll be giving serious thought to the questions they’re asking but it’s also a chance for those in the optical professions to consider how we’re held to account.
The PSA will be looking at how they report on those core regulatory functions set out above. But they are also considering whether to review the regulators in other areas, such as our governance arrangements and how we ensure equality, diversity and fairness in performing our duties.
The PSA’s consultation runs until September 12 – if you’re interested in how the GOC is held to account, then get involved and let the PSA know what you think.