After facing backlash from around 3,000 members of the UK’s Association of Optometrists (AOP), the General Optical Council (GOC) has scrapped its proposal to permit dispensing opticians (DOs) to carry out refraction.
However, at its March meeting the GOC agreed it would revisit its 2013 policy statement so that it reflects contemporary practice, taking account of technological developments and changing business models, according to a statement. The 2022 call for evidence was intended to help the GOC consider whether the Opticians Act is fit for purpose and whether there is any evidence to support any changes to it.
“We are pleased to see that the GOC has heeded concerns expressed by the AOP, along with other stakeholders in the profession, and in particular the importance of optometrists remaining in control of the sight test,” said Adam Sampson, AOP chief executive.
Sampson said while it had never been the AOP’s intention to limit the aspirations of its dispensing optician colleagues, the association recognised the significant concerns of its members, particularly the risk of missed pathology. “The patient benefit and protection must be at the center of any reform,” he said.
