General Optical Council

Introduction to the GOC

We are one of 13 organisations in the UK known as health and social care regulators. These organisations oversee the health and social care professions by regulating individual professionals. We are the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. We currently register around 30,000 optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians and optical businesses.

We have four core functions:

• Setting standards for optical education and training, performance and conduct.
• Approving qualifications leading to registration.
• Maintaining a register of individuals who are qualified and fit to practise, train or carry on business as optometrists and dispensing opticians.
• Investigating and acting where registrants’ fitness to practise, train or carry on business is impaired.