Policy briefing: GOC Registrant Workforce and Perceptions Survey 2024

What has been announced?

The General Optical Council (GOC) has published the results of its Registrant Workforce and Perceptions Survey 2024. The GOC Registrant Workforce and Perceptions Survey 2024 data provides valuable insight into the optical professions.

The GOC has highlighted a number of headlines findings which show that there are clearly some fundamental areas where the workforce needs more support:

• Overall job satisfaction went from 62% in 2023 to 58% this year, and dissatisfaction levels increased from 20% in 2023 to 25%. Most respondents (54%) reported feeling unable to cope with their workload in the last 12 months, and 31% reported finding it difficult to provide patients with a sufficient level of care in the last 12 months
• 55% of respondents said there are opportunities for them to develop their career (compared to 56% in the NHS staff survey), and 46% felt supported to develop their potential (compared to 57% in the NHS staff survey). However, respondents reported some barriers to career development, with the most common reasons being time constraints, costs, and lack of employer support
• Respondents voiced concerns about various barriers to delivering safe care linked to the retail environment, including time pressures and short testing times, volume of patients/overbooking/ghost clinics, understaffing and inexperienced/underqualified staff, and sales/commercial pressures/targets
• Levels of harassment, bullying or abuse remain high with 50% reporting this over the last 12 months. The main source of these behaviours was patients and service users, but around one in five respondents reported personally experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from managers or colleagues. Similarly, levels of discrimination also remain high with 31% reporting they had experienced this in the last 12 months
• Both respondents experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse, and those experiencing discrimination, were more likely to find it difficult to provide patients with sufficient care. The GOC says this “indicates that poor working conditions can impact not only on one’s mental health and well-being but also the quality and safety of patient care”
• Some registrant groups are more likely than others to experience challenging working conditions. For example, experiences of harassment, bullying or abuse, as well as discrimination, were more likely amongst females, registrants with a disability, and registrants from an ethnic minority background. The GOC notes that these issues are “not unique to the optical sector and other regulators, such as the General Medical Council and General Pharmaceutical Council, have reported similar findings recently.”

The survey was conducted by Enventure Research. A total of 4,575 responses were received, representing 15% of the registrant population.

What do we say?

Fundamentally, we are disappointed to see that levels of job satisfaction have declined in the last year and currently sit at 58% overall, which is lower than the last two years. The main reasons noted in the GOC survey for these feelings of dissatisfaction are “being undervalued and heavy workloads”. Optometrists are highly skilled professionals, but in many instances these skills are not fully utilised because of poor commissioning decisions and outdated pathways, leaving many to feel disillusioned. It is also reported that the number of registrants experiencing bullying and harassment has increased across the board. Discrimination is reported to come largely from patients or their relatives and is focused mainly on race. This is not only completely unacceptable, but untenable and has a directly negative impact on patient care. This saddening situation has highlighted that despite last year’s joint sector statement committing to a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment there is still much to do.

Our view is that it is incumbent on the profession as a whole take all possible steps to improve the working environment for registrants and those that work in the wider optical sector. The GOC can and must play a significant role in tackling this issue and that is why we welcome the stated focus on bringing forward changes to registration for optical businesses. Businesses must be empowered and encouraged to create a safe and respectful working environment for their staff. An environment must be provided where employees feel valued and supported, safe in the knowledge that abusive behaviour will not be tolerated. The AOP will be are committed to work alongside the GOC and others in the eyecare sector to be sure that the changes to business registration and the subsequent revision to standards for optical businesses are fit for purpose. Beyond fulfilling their core purpose, the standards should strive to foster an environment where optical professionals can thrive, as this is most likely to provide the best conditions to deliver good care for patients. In our view, to do so requires a collaborative and supportive approach, where registrants are actively encouraged to support one another and not to ignore discrimination.

The GOC survey also highlighted continued dissatisfaction with the GOC’s registrant fee structure, with a mere 37% of respondents feeling that the level of fee is fair. We have previously called upon the GOC to be more transparent with how registrants’ fees are spent, and we re-assert that ask: it is important that registrants understand why GOC fees are set at the level that they are, and to do that, the GOC should more clearly articulate how they both spend and prioritise spending registrant fee income.

Turning to the aspirations of registrants for career progression, we note that 41% of registrants are looking to gain further qualifications. The most popular option is Independent Prescribing, but there is also a clear aspiration to take on a greater role in glaucoma management – and, both of these areas have significant potential to help to tackle the NHS backlog and prevent patients from losing their sight.