GOC publishes the results of its 2026 registrant workforce and perceptions survey

From AI use to job satisfaction and additional qualifications, the GOC reports the findings of its latest registrant workforce and perceptions survey

3 min read

Emily McCormick

03 September 2026

Practitioners are “cautiously optimistic” about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to support eye care, but feel that a greater understanding of the technology is required, the General Optical Council (GOC) reports.

Sharing findings from its 2026 Registrant Workforce and Perceptions Survey, the regulator reported that nearly half of registrants (45%) believe AI will improve the quality of eye care.

However, the GOC said that its findings also showed that understanding and practical engagement with AI remained at an early stage across the profession – while 40% of respondents rated their knowledge and understanding of AI in optical care as good, 60% rated it as poor.

Delving into the survey, the GOC found that AI was most commonly being used to help maintain knowledge and skills (12%), support diagnosis (8%), or write patient correspondence (8%).

Furthermore, practitioners expressed a range of concerns in relation to AI use, including AI making errors (77%), uncertainty about legal responsibility if something goes wrong (76%), and a lack of transparency in how AI systems reach decisions (68%).

Almost one fifth (22%) of registrant respondents said they have completed AI training in the last 12 months.

Steve Brooker, director of regulatory strategy at the GOC, said: “Our survey suggests that AI is beginning to support the delivery of eye care, and registrants are cautiously optimistic about its benefits. At the same time, they have identified important concerns, particularly around the risk of errors, accountability when things go wrong, and transparency in decision-making.”

Brooker highlighted that, “as AI becomes more widely used across healthcare, regulation has an important role to play in supporting responsible innovation that commands the confidence of both professionals and the public.”

As a result, Brooker confirmed that the GOC was looking forward to responding to the forthcoming report of the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare.

Beyond AI, elsewhere in the survey, the GOC reported “encouraging” signs of job satisfaction across the profession increasing, with 59% expressing satisfaction with their role in the last 12 months, up from 55% last year. Meanwhile, dissatisfaction fell by 2% year-on-year, from 26% to 24%.

The survey also revealed that additional qualifications are becoming more common amongst registrants, with the number of professionals practising without additional qualifications falling to 58%. This is compared to 65% in 2025 and 67% in 2023.

Additional qualifications in glaucoma, medical retina and contact lens practice are all increasingly common, reported the GOC, adding gaining additional qualifications or skills remained the most frequently planned career change by respondents (40%).

Brooker said: “It is encouraging to see job satisfaction improving and more registrants gaining additional qualifications. The growth in specialist skills across the professions will help support the delivery of enhanced primary eye care services in the years ahead.”

However, the survey also emphasised the ongoing pressures affecting the delivery of eye care, with over a third of respondents (36%) saying they had found it difficult to provide patients with the level of care they needed in the last 12 months. Furthermore, nearly half (47%) of respondents reported experiencing insufficient time for sight tests, while 38% stated pressure to see a high volume of patients.

Additionally, almost half of survey respondents (46%) shared that they had personally experienced some form of harassment, bullying or abuse at work in the last 12 months.

Brooker emphasised that “registrant concerns regarding workplace culture and commercial pressures persist,” adding that the GOC’s thematic review into commercial practices aims to identify “concrete steps to address these issues.”

The GOC's annual survey of registrants was completed by 3451 registrants between March and April this year. To read the report in full, visit the GOC website.