Five insights from General Optical Council

OT presents a selection of takeaways from the June meeting of the optical regulator

4 min read

A group of professionals hold a meeting in a conference room

Getty/Jana Murr

09 July 2026

The influence of artificial intelligence (AI) technology on consumer complaints and analysis of fitness to practise outcomes were among topics discussed at the General Optical Council’s (GOC) latest council meeting (24 June, held remotely).

Here, OT presents a selection of insights from the meeting of the optical regulator.

1 Optical consumers are becoming less hesitant about speaking up when things go wrong

Head of the Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS), Jennie Jones, presented a summary of the OCCS annual report at the GOC meeting.

Jones noted that over the past year the OCCS has seen an increase in the number of complaints that have exhausted local resolution processes.

“I think we are seeing an ongoing trend around changing consumer and societal behaviours,” Jones reflected.

“We have for many years understood that there is often a reluctance for consumers or patients to raise complaints, and I think what we are starting to see is an increased willingness or ability to raise concerns,” she observed.

2 AI is beginning to affect the types of complaints that the OCCS receives

Jones observed at the GOC meeting that consumers are increasingly using AI tools to support their decision making around complaints.

“Often the consumer’s view on how a practice has responded to their complaint is being evaluated against the information they’ve received from AI,” Jones highlighted.

Jones shared that that consumers are also using AI when putting their initial complaint forward to the OCCS.

“The presentation of the complaint will often be lengthier than perhaps we may have seen in the past, or will include more complex allegations,” Jones shared.

3 Over the past year, the number of complaints received by the OCCS has risen 31%

The OCCS annual report outlines how complaints to the independent and free mediation service rose from 1679 to 2201 over the past year – a 31% increase.

Speaking at the meeting, Jones shared: “I think the most significant trend that we have seen is around the earlier escalation of complaints to the OCCS. There is often a decision by the consumer not to maintain dialogue with the practice but to escalate their complaint from the practice to a third party at an earlier stage.”

The total number of complaints received by the OCCS over the past year includes 143 enquiries that were redirected from the GOC.

4 Independent analysis of GOC fitness to practise outcomes finds no evidence of unfair outcomes

Independent statistician, Dr Gareth Davies, provided the GOC meeting with a summary of analysis of the optical regulator’s fitness to practise outcomes.

Davies examined fitness to practise triage, investigation, and hearing outcomes between 2020 and 2024.

He concluded that there was little evidence of meaningful disproportionality in fitness to practise outcomes. However, he also outlined limitations with the data that was included in the analysis.

A relatively high proportion of registrants chose not to provide equality, diversity and inclusion information, Davies noted.

“I think it would definitely be in your interests to try and improve your EDI data quality and completeness,” he said.

5 GOC approves consultation on draft updated statement on the testing of sight

The optical regulator approved a 14-week consultation on a proposed draft updated statement on the testing of sight, alongside draft revisions to delegation and supervision standards.

The GOC statement on the testing of sight was last updated in 2013.

That statement outlined how: “No part of the sight test can be delegated to a dispensing optician or contact lens optician, even under supervision.”

The proposed updated statement, which will go out for consultation in July, confirms that an optometrist may delegate some parts of the sight test to a suitably trained person, provided that the optometrist remains in overall control of the process and oversees the tasks being carried out.

A GOC press release highlighted that tasks such as intraocular pressure tests and visual field assessments are already commonly performed by trained support staff.

“The proposed statement would not change the duties and responsibilities of the optometrist, but reinforce their central role in sight testing and better reflect modern clinical practice,” the press release stated.

Regarding the separation of the sight test by time, person or place, the updated statement outlines a broad regulatory framework – enabling innovation while also reducing the risk to patients.

“It seeks to address these key risks by introducing safeguards covering the role of clinical audit, staff training, assessing suitability of patients based on risk, patient choice and consent, and considering patients in vulnerable circumstances,” the press release explained.