How the GOC Standards of Practice will change from 1 January 2025

Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries, delivering better care to vulnerable patients and a requirement for registrants to identify themselves and their role are among updated requirements in the General Optical Council’s new standards of practice.

The General Optical Council (GOC) approved updated Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians, Standards for Optical Students, and Standards for Optical Businesses at its latest meeting (24-25 September, held virtually).

OT presents a summary of the new requirements ahead of the refreshed standards taking effect on 1 January, 2025.

1 Most standards will remain unchanged – with some adaptations to ensure the standards remain relevant

GOC standards manager, Rebecca Chamberlain, emphasised that many of the standards remain the same.

“Registrants are accountable for their practice and they are expected to use their professional judgement when applying the standards,” she said.

GOC director of regulatory strategy, Steve Brooker, highlighted that it was important that the standards were reassessed to ensure that they continue to effectively protect the public.

“The starting point for the review is that the existing standards weren’t broken, but they should be reviewed to ensure that they’re relevant to current practice,” he said.

Brooker noted that where changes have been made, they are aligned to the GOC’s strategy – for example, by enhancing the care of patients in vulnerable circumstances and tackling negative workplace culture.

2 The updated standards aim to deliver better care for vulnerable groups

As part of the refreshed standards, there is an increased focus on recognising the needs of vulnerable groups.

Under the introductory wording, the standards require registrants to “consider and respond to” the needs of patients who require particular care due to their personal circumstances.

The standards highlight that patients may be vulnerable for a range of reasons – including due to physical or mental health conditions, their capability in managing their health or due to a difficult set of life events.

The requirement to make reasonable adjustments to respond to the needs of patients with a disability has been broadened to include patients in vulnerable groups.

GOC council member, Dr Josie Forte, welcomed a focus on improving care for vulnerable groups within the standards.

She highlighted that the updated standards provided an opportunity for registrants to “fully engage” with the meaning of the word vulnerable.

“Vulnerabilities are not always visible. When we are talking about access to care it could be related to poverty as much as anything else,” Forte said.

3 The standards require registrants to identify themselves and their role, and advise patients who will provide their care

As well as the previous expectation that registrants would explain to patients what to expect from the consultation and ensure they have an opportunity to ask questions, registrants are required to identify themselves and their role and advise patients who will be providing their care.

As chair of the standards committee, Forte highlighted that many of the changes have been made to ensure that the standards are relevant to current practice.

She highlighted that as more care is transferred from secondary care to primary care, it will be increasingly important for registrants to clearly identify themselves.

“There is an obligation on registrants to make it clear to patients and customers who they are talking with – and what their role is,” Forte said.

4 Clear professional boundaries are set out within the updated standards, including around sexual conduct

The optical regulator has added standards covering conduct of a sexual nature to its requirements around maintaining appropriate boundaries.

Chamberlain highlighted that there are two standards that relate to sexual conduct – one addressing expected conduct with patients and the other addressing expectations regarding colleagues.

“Splitting the standards in this way has enabled us to differentiate our expectations, making clear that registrants must not engage in any conduct of a sexual nature with patients, whereas they must not engage in unwanted conduct of a sexual nature with colleagues and others with whom they have a professional relationship,” she said.

GOC council member, Sinead Burns, raised a query around the inclusion of students within the standard that prohibits unwanted conduct of a sexual nature – rather than any conduct of a sexual nature.

“There is potentially a power dynamic there – albeit, that the students are adults. I would have thought that it would have been inappropriate even if it were deemed to be consensual,” she said.

Responding to this point, Chamberlain explained that it was felt that there was a different expectation in terms of a registrant’s conduct with patients when compared to other groups.

“That threshold is consistent across other regulators,” she said.

“If you look at the General Medical Council, patients are included within one group, while colleagues, students and others are included in another,” Chamberlain shared.

She highlighted that the patient-professional relationship is distinct, and prohibiting any sexual conduct is viewed to be an appropriate, proportionate safeguard.

“We feel it’s slightly different for colleagues and others with whom registrants have professional relationships,” Chamberlain highlighted.

Chamberlain acknowledged that there can be a power differential in the context of students.

“I think the challenge for us is that within an optical practice, those power differentials will exist between registered staff and non-registered staff, for example,” she said.

“The relationship that a student has is more in that professional sphere than it is a patient-professional relationship. We feel that where we’ve drawn the line is the appropriate and proportionate place,” Chamberlain highlighted.

5 Standards prohibiting discrimination and bullying have been reinforced

The updated standards specify that registrants must promote equality, value diversity and be inclusive in all their dealings with patients, colleagues and others with whom the registrant has a professional relationship. They must not discriminate on the grounds of protected characteristics.

The standards also outline the GOC’s expectation that registrants will not undermine their colleagues.

The standard states that registrants must: “Respect colleagues’ skills and contributions, and refrain from making unnecessary, or disparaging comments which could make a patient doubt your colleagues’ competence, skills, or fitness to practise.”

The above requirement applies to public, private and online communications.

If a registrant has concerns about a colleague’s fitness to practise, then they should follow the whistle blowing process detailed under standard 11.

In the revised standards for optical businesses, there is a new standard that requires businesses to provide support for staff who have experienced discrimination, bullying or harassment in the workplace.

6 Following on from the COVID-19 pandemic, the regulator has introduced a new standard on communicable diseases

A new standard requires registrants to seek medical advice if they have a ‘serious communicable disease’ or have been exposed to such a disease and believe they are a carrier.

Registrants are required to follow the medical advice they receive – which may include suspending or modifying their practice.

7 The updated standards reflect advancements in technology

The evolution of technology is reflected in the refreshed standards, with a new standard that requires registrants to apply their professional judgement when utilising data generated by digital technologies to inform decision making.

Digital technologies are explicitly mentioned in a standard requiring registrants to be aware of current good practice, while a standard discouraging registrants from making misleading statements now applies to ‘communications’ as well as advertising.

There are strengthened provisions around consent when sharing patient data and maintaining confidentiality when sharing images online.

Speaking at the meeting, Forte highlighted that the amended standards were not about restricting the use of new technology.

“This is about allowing registrants to embrace technology and do their best for their patients with these tools,” she said.

GOC council member, Mike Galvin, reflected that the standards relating to new technology have been set at a high level in recognition of the pace of change.

“The profession isn’t ready in this space for a more definitive set of standards. This is an area that is going to mature – what is acceptable now might not be acceptable in five years’ time,” he said.