Call for evidence on changing the Opticians Act

The General Optical Council (GOC) is welcoming feedback from patients, the public, registrants, sector bodies and employers on the need to change the Opticians Act.

The call for evidence is linked to planned reforms of health and social care regulators by the Department of Health and Social Care.

The GOC is calling for views and information on a range of topics, including: GOC objectives for legislative reform, protection of title, restricted activities and registers, regulation of businesses, testing of sight, fitting of contact lenses, sale and supply of optical appliances, and delivery of remote care and technology.

Acting director of regulatory strategy at the GOC, Marcus Dye, shared that the call for evidence is an opportunity for stakeholders to have their say on the future of legislation and regulation.

“The information and evidence we collect will inform the development of any business case for future change to the Act, as well as inform whether we should consider making more immediate changes to our associated policies,” he said.

The call for evidence will be open for four months and close on 18 July 2022. Submissions to the consultation can be made online.

The AOP will be undertaking wide-ranging member and stakeholder engagement work as it develops its response to the GOC’s call for evidence and consultation.