On 29^th July, the GOC agreed new standards of practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians, and new standards for optical students which will come into effect on 1^st April 2016.

The standards aim to support registrants by clarifying the GOC’s expectations whilst still allowing registrants to use their professional judgement in deciding how to apply the standards in practice.

They have been designed to allow for future developments for practitioners in all modes of practice whether employees, locums or business owners and whether they work on the high street, in hospital or in domiciliary settings as well as shared care programmes.

The new standards of practice will be effective from 1^st April 2016 and the GOC will send a copy to all registrants by December 2015. As part of the annual GOC retention process, registrants will have to declare that they have read and will abide by the standards. Registrants will also have to complete at least one piece of CET relating to standards of practice as part of the new 2016-2018 CET cycle.

The Eyecare conference in January offers CET which will cover this competency. Book your place and get the new CET cycle off to a great start. View the agenda here www.eyecareglasgow.com to see what’s on offer.