Pixabay/Andreas Breitling
03 August 2020
The General Optical Council (GOC) has launched its Education Strategic Review (ESR) consultation on the proposals to update its education and training requirements for GOC-approved qualifications, ensuring they are “fit for purpose.”
The consultation seeks views on the GOC’s Outcomes for Registration, concerning the proposed knowledge, skills and behaviours a dispensing optician or optometrist must have at the point of qualifying and registering.
Also under consultation are the Standards for Approved Qualifications, which considers delivery and assessment of outcomes leading to an approved qualification, as well as the Quality Assurance and Enhancement Method which explains how the GOC proposes to gather evidence to decide if qualifications leading to registration meet the requirements.
These documents would replace the GOC’s current Quality Assurance Handbooks for optometry and dispensing opticians, which includes the core competencies required of students and numerical requirements for their practical experiences, as well as related educational policies. They would also replace the GOC’s supervision policy and the policy on the Recognition of Prior Learning.
“The proposed documents will ensure the qualifications we approve are responsive to a rapidly changing landscape in the commissioning of eye care services in each of the devolved nations,” explained Leonie Milliner, GOC director of education.
“They respond to the changing needs of patients and service users and changes in higher education, not least as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as increased expectations of the student community and their future employers,” Ms Milliner added:
The ESR proposals build on feedback from the previous 2018-19 consultation, and concepts and principles consultation in 2017-18.
The development of the proposals was led by two expert advisory groups for optometrists and dispensing opticians, with input from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and feedback from stakeholders across the optical sector.
Ms Milliner explained that the consultation needs to take place to ensure the current requirements do not become out of date, and that the qualifications approved in the future are fit for purpose.
“It’s also important that we consult now so that the changes we make to our qualifications align with the changes we make to our pre-registration competence requirements as part of our Continuing Education and Training (CET) Review,” Ms Milliner added.
The consultation will run until 19 October 2020.
“This is another area seriously affected by the pandemic, with universities moving to remote learning and pre-reg placements under threat,” said Tony Stafford, policy director for the AOP.
The AOP’s policy team has been working across a variety of areas to support members throughout the pandemic. This has ranged from working as part of the Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee (OFNC) to making the case to NHS England for additional funding for practices, to lobbying for better Government support for self-employed members.
“We know that many members will continue to face COVID-related challenges as we move into the autumn and winter, so government and NHS support will remain a top priority,” Mr Stafford outlined. “But there are also important proposals for long-term strategic changes to the way optometrists are trained in the UK, and we need to make sure those work in our members’ interests.”
The review looks to ensure the regulatory framework for the education and training of optical professionals is fit for the future and that programmes produce practitioners with the clinical skills that will be needed in future practice.
“The AOP continues to support this core aim and supported the need for reform, as long as it can be done effectively and without creating undue risks,” Mr Stafford added.
The AOP recently held a survey to gather experiences of pre-reg supervision from current and recent graduates and supervisors, with the aim of understanding how well the current system works and informing the AOP’s position on potential changes.
Mr Stafford suggested the GOC is aiming to sign off the new rules by the end of the year, so courses under the new framework could be up and running by autumn 2022, though it will be a few years before all the changes are in place.
“The review has moved slowly and had some false starts, but it’s now making more progress,” Mr Stafford explained. “This consultation is therefore an important opportunity for our members and other stakeholders to influence the new education framework optometrists will be trained under in the coming years.”
The policy team will be developing the AOP’s response to the consultation with the AOP’s Policy Committee and Council and will take account of the interests of different groups of members. Mr Stafford added: “We hope and expect that many members will be interested in the proposals, so we’ll be encouraging them to feed in views to us.”
The consultation seeks views on the GOC’s Outcomes for Registration, concerning the proposed knowledge, skills and behaviours a dispensing optician or optometrist must have at the point of qualifying and registering.
Also under consultation are the Standards for Approved Qualifications, which considers delivery and assessment of outcomes leading to an approved qualification, as well as the Quality Assurance and Enhancement Method which explains how the GOC proposes to gather evidence to decide if qualifications leading to registration meet the requirements.
These documents would replace the GOC’s current Quality Assurance Handbooks for optometry and dispensing opticians, which includes the core competencies required of students and numerical requirements for their practical experiences, as well as related educational policies. They would also replace the GOC’s supervision policy and the policy on the Recognition of Prior Learning.
“The proposed documents will ensure the qualifications we approve are responsive to a rapidly changing landscape in the commissioning of eye care services in each of the devolved nations,” explained Leonie Milliner, GOC director of education.
“They respond to the changing needs of patients and service users and changes in higher education, not least as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as increased expectations of the student community and their future employers,” Ms Milliner added:
The ESR proposals build on feedback from the previous 2018-19 consultation, and concepts and principles consultation in 2017-18.
The development of the proposals was led by two expert advisory groups for optometrists and dispensing opticians, with input from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and feedback from stakeholders across the optical sector.
Ms Milliner explained that the consultation needs to take place to ensure the current requirements do not become out of date, and that the qualifications approved in the future are fit for purpose.
“It’s also important that we consult now so that the changes we make to our qualifications align with the changes we make to our pre-registration competence requirements as part of our Continuing Education and Training (CET) Review,” Ms Milliner added.
The consultation will run until 19 October 2020.
The AOP’s Policy team discuss the Education Strategic Review
As the country moves into a recovery phase, and in light of the challenges faced by educators over the past few months, it has been expected that there could be a renewed focus on optometry training and education.“This is another area seriously affected by the pandemic, with universities moving to remote learning and pre-reg placements under threat,” said Tony Stafford, policy director for the AOP.
The AOP’s policy team has been working across a variety of areas to support members throughout the pandemic. This has ranged from working as part of the Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee (OFNC) to making the case to NHS England for additional funding for practices, to lobbying for better Government support for self-employed members.
“We know that many members will continue to face COVID-related challenges as we move into the autumn and winter, so government and NHS support will remain a top priority,” Mr Stafford outlined. “But there are also important proposals for long-term strategic changes to the way optometrists are trained in the UK, and we need to make sure those work in our members’ interests.”
This consultation is an important opportunity for our members and other stakeholders to influence the new education framework optometrists will be trained under in the coming years
The review looks to ensure the regulatory framework for the education and training of optical professionals is fit for the future and that programmes produce practitioners with the clinical skills that will be needed in future practice.
“The AOP continues to support this core aim and supported the need for reform, as long as it can be done effectively and without creating undue risks,” Mr Stafford added.
The AOP recently held a survey to gather experiences of pre-reg supervision from current and recent graduates and supervisors, with the aim of understanding how well the current system works and informing the AOP’s position on potential changes.
Mr Stafford suggested the GOC is aiming to sign off the new rules by the end of the year, so courses under the new framework could be up and running by autumn 2022, though it will be a few years before all the changes are in place.
“The review has moved slowly and had some false starts, but it’s now making more progress,” Mr Stafford explained. “This consultation is therefore an important opportunity for our members and other stakeholders to influence the new education framework optometrists will be trained under in the coming years.”
The policy team will be developing the AOP’s response to the consultation with the AOP’s Policy Committee and Council and will take account of the interests of different groups of members. Mr Stafford added: “We hope and expect that many members will be interested in the proposals, so we’ll be encouraging them to feed in views to us.”
Comments (5)
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Anonymous17 October 2020
There is so little actual detail in these proposals - look at the new learning outcomes. They could describe any health care professional with the exception of one small section which is relevant to clinical skills in optometry. This only defines areas which ‘ may’ be studied. There could be huge variation between what is taught at the various institutions. There is a total lack of a common assessment strategy which ensures that all newly qualified Optometrists have a safe skill set. Currently the pre- registration year is overseen by the College of Optometrists, who have been doing this for decades and draw on a vast range of educational experts. In universities, with the best will in the world and hats off respect to them, the expertise is spread much thinner.
There is no evidence that the current system is broken and needs such drastic, untested review. We need to be very, very careful. We are all still coping with the impact of COVID, which will take a long time to evaluate. This is the wrong time to have something imposed unnecessarily. Where are our experts within the profession who can advocate this change is the right way forward and needed? I want to hear much more from them..
The GOC education committee is a group of experts admittedly, but a small group appointed by the GOC, with no independent scrutiny of their decisions. We are handing them enormous power to decide and shape the future of the profession by approving, or not approving courses which will lead to professional registration. How do we know they are unbiased?
How can a decision be made without knowing how 48 weeks of practical experience will be funded? The detail is necessary.
I feel we should be very concerned about the imposition of unsubstantiated change on our profession by our regulator.
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Anonymous24 September 2020
My main question would be who is then responsible for the student optometrist's training with the shift to a single stage approach? Would the responsibility still lie with universities who have clinical and educational values at the heart of the program? Or would the training be taken on by multiples who could potentially shape the practices and values of future optometrists? This could potentially lower standards and decrease confidence in the profession if businesses are allowed to be involved in what is normally a university degree. However a single stage program implemented by universities could work well if students are prepared to work in practice immediately following their degree, provided that they gain enough hands on experience.
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Anonymous21 September 2020
Call me cynical but I wonder if one of the main drivers for this change is the millions of pounds that the main pre-reg. providers will save by not having to pay pre-reg. salaries.
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Anonymous21 September 2020
What is the evidence that the current system is not working?
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Anonymous21 September 2020
I think this change is long overdue. I’m not sure on the degree apprenticeship proposals but a 4 year degree with pre reg integrated is a step forward. The only reason why a pre reg placement would be advantageous over a degree pre reg is because the former would give more opportunities to practise refraction HOWEVER autorefraction and fundus photography is likely to improve immensely over the next few years so prospective optometrist need to prove they have a great depth of skills ( best learnt at uni) if they don’t want computers out competing them.
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