Sector responses to GOC CPD reform proposals

Optical bodies have come together to issue a joint letter to the General Optical Council (GOC) in response to its CPD reform proposals that calls for clarity, public protection, and collaboration.

Coming together, the four bodies – the AOP, The College of Optometrists, FODO and ABDO – warned that the current CPD reform proposals could have implications for public protection if not carefully implemented and may introduce uncertainty for registrants.

In the letter sent to the regulator, the bodies detailed their shared concerns, as well as the principles they believe must underpin any future CPD framework developed and delivered by the GOC.

Although, overall, all four sector bodies support the overarching aim of the GOC through its CPD reform proposals to move towards a more flexible, outcomesfocused approach for education, they emphasise that the consultation does not yet provide sufficient confidence that the transition will be managed effectively or in line with the regulator’s statutory objectives.

In the letter, the bodies emphasised the requirement for any new CPD system to maintain public protection; provide registrants with clear expectations about what’s required to remain on the register; be grounded in evidence supporting patient safety risks and the effectiveness of different forms of learning; be informed by a full assessment of costs, benefits and potential unintended consequences, and be capable of consistent application across the whole optical sector.

The bodies also highlighted concern within the CPD reform proposals that would place additional responsibilities on optical businesses, including oversight of personal development plans.

They explained that they feel the current proposals would be challenging to implement consistently, in particular as not all registrants are employed by practices, and not all businesses are currently regulated by the GOC.

Together, the organisations asked the GOC to work closely with the optical sector to ensure any reforms are “workable, proportionate and genuinely supportive of professional standards.”

Dr Ian Beasley, head of education at the AOP and OT clinical editor, acknowledged that “most other health professions already have the sort of freedom that the GOC is proposing,” and that “many of our members experience the current system for recording their CPD as bureaucratic.”

However, he stressed: “All of our members appreciate clarity and structure in their professional lives, and it is the job of GOC to provide that with any reforms it makes.”

Alistair Bridge, CEO of ABDO, echoed that it “fully supports the move towards CPD that is meaningful, outcomesfocused and relevant to daytoday practice,” but emphasised “reform must be built on clear evidence, a realistic assessment of impact, and above all an unwavering commitment to public protection.”

Michael Guthrie, director of policy and regulation at FODO, said that while it welcomes the movement to a more outcomes-based approach, “the GOC should avoid an unnecessarily prescriptive system for businesses, which might add to regulatory burdens and costs without any clear benefits."  Ian Humphreys, CEO of The College of Optometrists, welcomed the opportunity to update the CPD framework and increase the flexibility and diversity of the CPD system.

“But we would caution that any reforms must also minimise bureaucracy and create a more efficient mechanism for auditing registrants and providers that remains rooted in maintaining professional standards and patient safety, while enabling registrants to take ownership of their own CPD,” he said.

AOP policy briefing

GOC consultation on CPD reforms for optometrists and dispensing opticians

Our response to the GOC's consultation, April 2026