The last major change to the Opticians Act came back in 2005. In the optical sector a lot has changed in that time and we know change is likely to be even more rapid in the future.
To meet the challenge of regulating such a fast-changing sector we have to be modern and agile. And that is why, with the Government consulting on possible regulatory reform, we are looking to modernise some of the laws that underpin how we carry out our role.
The most headline-grabbing part of Promoting Professionalism, Reforming Regulation is the Government floating the idea of regulatory mergers. Our view is that any proposed changes must be based on solid evidence of benefits to patient safety, recognise the level of rapid change in the optical sector and enable innovation.
The document also covers a range of issues which, while less eye-catching, could help us operate in an efficient way in patients’ best interests. For example, we will be pushing for changes to our FTP powers to help us speed the process up, such as full consensual disposal powers.
We want to be able to set more of our own rules, for example around CET, to make it quicker and easier to change requirements to ensure registrants are prepared for future roles. And we hope to reform business regulation so that all business carrying our restricted functions are required to register with us.
We will be responding to the consultation by the January 23 deadline and would encourage others in the optical sector to do so too – the world of optics is changing fast and our regulatory powers need to as well.
www.gov.uk/government/consultations/promoting-professionalism-reforming-regulation