General Optical Council

Only corporate bodies can register with us as businesses – this includes limited companies, limited liability partnerships and Scottish partnerships.

You can apply for registration as a body corporate if:

1. The majority (over 50%) of company directors are registered optometrists and/or dispensing opticians;

2. Your business was included on a local health service ophthalmic list at 20 November 1957;

3. The majority (over 50%) of your company’s profits are earned from business other than testing sight and/ or dispensing AND those activities are managed by a registered person; or

4. Your business is a co-operative society.

For more information, visit our registering a body corporate section.

The following titles are protected under the Opticians Act 1989:

• ophthalmic optician
• optician
• dispensing optician
• optometrist

If you are intending to use any of these protected titles, you must register your business with the GOC. You must first complete an application for registration form (bodies corporate), leaving the ‘date of incorporation’ section blank. Your application must also fit into one of the ‘entitlement of register categories’, as outlined on the form (see Who can register as a body corporate?). Return the form to us, along with the  fee. If your application has been completed correctly, we will send you a letter of authorisation. Send this to Companies House. They will then ‘incorporate’ your company using that protected title, and send us a copy of the incorporation certificate. We will then enter your business on to the register of body corporates. 

 

Complete an application for registration form (bodies corporate). Your application must fit into one of the ‘entitlement of register categories’, as outlined on the form (see Who can register as a body corporate?). Complete the form and return it to us with the £290 fee. If your application has been completed correctly, we will enter your company on to the register of body corporates.

You don't have to be registered to own an optical business. However, all functions which are reserved by law to optometrists and/or dispensing opticians must be carried out by GOC registrants.

We have produced a fact sheet about training as an optometrist or dispensing optician. You can download the pdf, or to receive a copy in the post email acooner@optical.org

You can also contact the College of Optometrists, or the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) for more advice.
 

There are nine UK universities that offer GOC-approved degrees in optometry, and five education institutions that offer GOC-approved training courses in dispensing optics. For more information visit our education pages.

The College of Optometrists and the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) manage the two main schemes for registration for optometrists and dispensing opticians respectively. The College and ABDO monitor all pre-registration supervisors and practices, but it is the trainee’s responsibility to find a suitable supervisor. However, if you have any difficulties you can contact the College or ABDO directly for guidance or visit their website for more information.

Council meetings are held in public and are open to all members of the public to attend.  Meetings are generally held at our office: 41 Harley Street, London W1G 8DJ.

A full list of meeting dates is available from our Council meetings and papers home page. Agendas, papers and minutes are normally published one week before the meeting.

For more information, or to register your interest in attending, email lharmshaw@optical.org.

All agendas, papers and minutes of public meetings are available to dowload from our Council meetings and papers page.

In accordance with the recommendations of the White Paper 'Trust, Assurance and Safety: the Regulation of the Health Professions in the 21st Century' the Council is now fully appointed.  

Since its reconstitution in April 2009, the Council has been populated by 12 members: six registrant members (optometrists and dispensing opticians), and six lay members, one of whom is appointed as Chair.

Further information is available our Council and committee appointments process document.

The points requirement will continue to be 36 points over three years. For those who join the register mid-way through a cycle this requirement will be pro-rated on the basis of one point for each month of registration.

From 2013 registrants will need to be able to demonstrate that they have not only obtained a sufficient number of points but also have undertaken CET in the required competency areas.

Registrants will also be expected to spread their CET across the three years and not limit their learning to a concentrated period within the cycle with no activity in the remaining years.

No. A registrant's CET requirement will continue to be reset at the start of each new cycle. As of 1 January 2013, when the current cycle started, registrants had zero points against their target, regardless of whether they achieved more than the required number in the previous cycle.

We are working with CET providers to ensure that all registrants, regardless of geographical location have access to sufficient CET to meet our requirements. This includes exploring new forms of CET and increased use of interactive technology.

In particular, we are working with stakeholders to ensure that all registrants have access to a peer discussion group. A toolkit containing guidance on the role of the discussion leader and example case records will also be produced to support registrants in meeting the requirements.

We also recognize that there may be exceptional cases where a registrant experiences difficulty in physically attending a discussion group. Where a registrant can demonstrate exceptional circumstances we may consider permitting participation via online real-time audio and video services. Online groups will need to be arranged through an approved provider trained in the use of this technology.

No. Many CET activities will be approved for more than one competency area.
Since 1 January 2013, CET events are advertised according to both the number of points available, the target group (eg optometrist, dispensing optician, contact lens optician or therapeutic specialist) and the competencies covered. This will mean that by attending one CET event a registrant may be able to meet two or three competency targets.

When logging into MyCET, registrants can now see their progress via a new tracking facility. This will show registrants what competencies have been covered by the CET undertaken to date and highlight those which are still outstanding, as well as how many points have been achieved against the target number.

The changes came into effect on 1 January 2013, the start of the 2013-15 CET cycle.

At the end of each year within the cycle, those registrants who are not on target, having failed to obtain at least six points per year, will be contacted and asked to explain the reasons for the failure to comply.

Registrants who wish to apply to have exceptional circumstances taken into account must do so as soon as those circumstances occur and not wait until the end of the cycle. Failure to declare exceptional circumstances before the end of the cycle may result in the registrant being removed from the register at the end of the cycle.

When applying to restore to the Register, applicants will still need to demonstrate that they have obtained 12 CET points in the 12 months preceding the date of restoration but also show that all of the competency units relevant to their professional group have been covered. One CET point may cover multiple competences so this is easily achievable by doing 12 points.

In addition those applying to restore after January 2014 will be expected to demonstrate that 50% (so six out of 12 points) were gained in CET activities that involve interaction with others, such as peer discussion, attendance at lectures etc.

We will look back to the previous full CET cycle to ensure the registrant has no outstanding shortfall. Any shortfall will need to be made up prior to restoration.

Therefore registrants will need to ensure they have gained the required number of points for the current cycle (1 point per month of registration between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012) as we will check this when an application is made to restore.

Anyone who applies to return to the register from 1 January 2014 will need to demonstrate that they have also participated in a peer discussion requirement within the last 3 years as well as having the 12 restoration points and covered all of the competencies before coming back onto the register.

Applicants need to contact the GOC Education Department in writing to apply at cet@optical.org providing the following information:

• An email address (the same as the one used for retention records)
• Any previous GOC numbers
• Details of any specialities

Applicants will be sent a temporary U number, username and password to start to register the 12 CET points in order to restore

You have the right to request any information held by public authorities. The Act allows access to recorded information, such as e-mails, meeting minutes, research or reports held by public authorities in England, Northern Ireland and Wales and some authorities located in Scotland.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, any individual, anywhere in the world, is able to make a request to a public authority for information. An applicant is entitled to be informed in writing as to whether the information is held and have the information communicated to them.

Your request must:

• Be made in writing (this can be electronically eg, fax, email);
• State the name of the applicant and an address for correspondence; and
• Describe the information requested.
• It would be helpful if you could clearly mark your correspondence “Freedom of Information Act Request”
• If you prefer, you can fill out our Information Request Form and send it to us. The form can be found here.

Not always. The Act recognises that there will be valid reasons why some kinds of information may be witheld, such as if its release would prejudice national security or commercial interests.

Public authorities are not obliged to deal with vexatious or repeated requests. In addition the Act does not provide the right of access to personal information about yourself. This information can be requested under the Data Protection Act 1998.
 

There is no ‘flat rate’ fee to receive nformation and in many cases the information will be provided to you free of charge.

An authority can refuse a request if it estimates that it will cost them in excess of the appropriate cost limit to fulfill your request. The limit is £450. Where the limit is not exceeded, the only charges that can be passed to you are those associated with providing the information, for example photcopying and postage. These are collectively known as disbursements.
 

You must be informed in writing whether we hold the information requested and if so, have the information communicated to you, promptly, but no later than 20 working days of receiving the request. However, the time can be extended to a period no later than 40 working days if the complexity or volume of the information requested means that it it impracticable either to comply with the request within the earlier period or to make a decision to refuse to do so.
 

Data Protection

We are allowed to charge a fee of up to £10 before providing the information to you.

If you believe we hold information about you, you can ask us to provide you with a copy of this information. This is called a Subject Access Request.

To make a Subject Access Request you will need to:

• Make your request in writing (e-mail is acceptable), clearly explaining or listing the information you want;
• It is a good idea to make clear you are asking for the information under the “Data Protection Act 1998”.

You are entitled to be:

• Given a description of the personal data in question;
• Told for what purposes we are using your personal data;
• Told the people, or types of people we have disclosed your personal data to;
• Given a copy of any personal data with any acronyms or codes explained;
• Given any information available to us about the source of the personal data.
 

Once we have received your request we have 40 calendar days to send a copy of the information to you.

There are a number of exemptions under the Data Protection Act which may mean we are unable to disclose some of the information you have requested. If your personal data has other information amongst it that would not be appropriate to release to you (for example, information about other individuals), we will blank out or “redact” this. This means that you might receive documents that have blanked-out sections.

You can find information on the Hearings section of the website, details are normally published up to eight weeks in advance of the hearing date.

Contact Hearings Manager, David Henley, for further details.

If you are concerned about the conduct of an optician, contact our fitness to practise team. They will advise you whether or not your complaint can be investigated and can explain our complaints procedure in more detail. Before a complaint can be investigated, you will need to complete and return an Investigation Form. For more information on the investigations process and to download a form, visit our investigating complaints section.

If you are dissatisfied with your spectacles or contact lenses, or are unhappy with the service you received in a practice, contact the Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS). When complaining about an optical appliance, you must contact the OCCS within one year of purchase.

 

All media enquiries should be directed to Simon Grier, Communications Manager on 020 7307 3478 or email sgrier@optical.org. Alternatively contact Amarinder Cooner, Communications Officer, on 020 7307 3473 or email acooner@optical.org.
 

 
If you wish to use the GOC logo please contact Amarinder Cooner on 0207 307 3473 or email acooner@optical.org

You can browse our image library online. The resource includes images of our Harley Street premises, Council members and staff and optical subjects. To obtain high resolution images, email acooner@optical.org.

Most of our publications are available to download from this website. If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive future issues of Bulletin, or for the latest annual report, email acooner@optical.org.

Most of our publications, including Bulletin and annual reports, are available as pdfs or Word documents from our news pages. If you need other formats of any of these, or for an audio version of the Opticians Act, please contact the Communications team.

For outstanding invoice queries please contact the finance department. Our payment terms are 30 days from the date of invoice.

 
Contact the Facilities Manager.

Payments can be made by credit/debit card or by cheque. Please make all cheques payable to ‘General Optical Council’.
 

Any business selling spectacles, contact lenses, or zero powered contact lenses must operate within the law governing the sale and supply of optical appliances. The Opticians Act 1989 establishes certain restrictions on who is legally able to sell spectacles, contact lenses, or zero powered contact lenses. Our statement on the sale and supply of optical appliances sets out the GOC’s interpretation of the law. In addition, the professional bodies, the College of Optometrists and the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO), have produced guidance for optometrists and dispensing opticians on the sale and supply of spectacles, contact lenses and zero powered contact lenses.

Our new strategy will see us take a more creative and proactive approach to reducing public harm through measures such as raising awareness among contact lens wearers of the importance of regular check-ups and following aftercare advice, promoting a voluntary code of practice for online contact lens suppliers and extending our collaboration with other bodies with a role in enforcement and promoting public health.

You can find out more here

England: contact your local NHS area team. You can find details on the NHS website.

Northern Ireland: contact your local health trust. You can find contact details on the Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland website.

Scotland: contact Debbie McGill at Optometry Scotland. You can find contact details on the Optometry Scotland website.

Wales (Wales Eye Care Service): contact Eye Care Wales. You can find contact details on the NHS Wales website.

Laser refractive surgery is carried out by ophthalmologists (eye surgeons) who are regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC). You can check if an ophthalmologist is registered on the GMC website.

More information about laser refractive surgery is available on the Royal College of Ophthalmologists website.

You can check your current registration status at any time on our online registers. These are updated daily. If you are a registrant and someone has a query about your registration status, you should refer them to the online registers and provide them with your GOC number as a reference. You can use the following documents as a reference to your GOC number:

Downloadable logo
Registration card
Registration certificate

None of the above are proof of registration, but can be used as a reference to your GOC number.

You can now download your own unique GOC-registered logo to promote your registered status to patients and the public. You can access your logo by logging into the registrants area of our website . Your logo is personalised with your GOC number and you can use it on letterheads, business cards and your website.

We send a registration card to all practitioners when they first register with the GOC, and then on a yearly basis after the retention period. If you have lost your registration card you can order a new one by contacting the registration department. The cost of a new registration card is £10.

We will only send you a registration certificate when you first register. If you have lost your certificate or would like an up-to-date one, please send a written request to the registration department with a cheque for £5.00. Cheques should be made payable to General Optical Council.

When you first register with us, we will send you a registration certificate free of charge. To order a duplicate please send a cheque for £5 together with a note of your name, address and registration number to: Registration Department, General Optical Council, 41 Harley Street, London W1G 8DJ. Or alternatively, email a member of our registration team.

To change your contact details online, you will need your GOC username. This will be your GOC number. (Use capitals and include the hyphen). You will also need your password, which by default is set to your date of birth in the format dd/mm/yy. Include the forward slashes)

Alternatively you may notify us of your new address in writing by post, fax or email, to our registration team. Please note: we cannot accept notification by phone, as a hard copy needs to be placed on file for reference.

If you have changed your name after a marriage or civil partnership, send a copy of your marriage or civil partnership certificate to our registration team. We will then update your records accordingly.

If you have changed your name by Deed Poll, send a copy of the Deed Poll to our registration team, by either post or fax. If you would like a registration certificate in your new name, return your old certificate with your original documents and we will send you an updated certificate free of charge.

You can check your GOC registration number by searching the online registers. If you have recently applied for registration or restoration, your new GOC number should become visable within 24 hours from the time that we process your application. We aim to process all forms within three working days, provided that they are filled out correctly and that you have provided all the necessary information. 

 
For more information contact our registration team on 020 7580 3898 (option 1.)

All our registers are available to search online. The registers are not available in printed format.

To register as an optometrist or dispensing optician, you must be adequately covered by an appropriate, UK-valid professional indemnity insurance policy.

Some of the professional bodies offer insurance. The Association of Optometrists (AOP) offers insurance as a benefit to members. Members of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) can take out ABDO insurance at a special rate. The Federation of (Opthalmic and Dispensing) Opticians (FODO) provides professional indemnity and legal defence insurance to both corporate opticians and their staff, as well as individual registrants. If you hold insurance as part of a professional body membership, you must notify us immediately if this membership lapses. If you are an employee of a company, you may be covered by their insurance policy.

If you are covered by a corporate policy you must not carry out any professional work outside this employment without ensuring alternative cover arrangements are in place.
Professional indemnity insurance can also be obtained from an independent insurance broker.

The Irish Opticians Board (Bord na Radharcmhastóirí) regulates optometrists and dispensing opticians in the Republic of Ireland (ROI).

If you are a resident of the ROI and want to enroll on a GOC-approved distance learning course, you need to register with the GOC as a student registrant. Your supervisor also needs to be registered with the GOC.

Information for non-UK applicants can be found in the registration section.

An eye examination checks the general health of the eye as well as just checking whether you need glasses or contact lenses. It should be part of your normal health routine, regardless of whether you think you need glasses to read, drive or watch TV.

Most people should have their eyes examined every two years but you may need to have examinations more often depending on your age and medical history. Further information is available from http://lookafteryoureyes.org/seeing-clearly/the-eye-examination/

Your contact lens practitioner will advise you when you need to return for a check-up, based on your individual needs. It is in your best interest for check-ups to be at least every 12 months or more often if necessary. You can find more detail in our booklet at https://www.optical.org/en/news_publications/Publications/patient_leaflets.cfm

Immediately after a sight test, your optometrist must give you a written statement confirming that the required examinations have been carried out, and whether a referral to a doctor is being made.
The optometrist must also provide either a prescription for an optical appliance (eg spectacles, contact lenses), or a written statement that no optical appliance is necessary.

The exceptions are:
1. If you are being referred to your doctor for further investigation.
2. If the test was carried out as part of a general medical examination for insurance purposes.
3. If you were resident in a hospital or clinic for the purposes of treatment.

An optometrist must provide a patient with a written prescription after their sight test, but is under no obligation to provide a patient with their pupillary distance measurement on their prescription.
The compulsory information specified within a prescription is contained in the Sight Testing (Examination and Prescription) (No2) Regulations 1989. It is therefore up to an individual practitioner or company to determine whether or not they are willing to provide patients with their pupillary distance measurement.

You can find the regulations on our website at: https://www.optical.org/en/about_us/legislation/rules_and_regulations.cfm

The set of details which enables a lens to be replicated is referred to as a contact lens specification.

Once a contact lens fitting has been completed, the optometrist or specialist dispensing optician must provide you with a written statement, including an expiry date and sufficient detail to enable the lens to be replicated. This should also state your name and full details of the registered optician and the practice.

Fitting should include insertion and removal, checking the fit on the eye and the health of the eye following contact lens wear. Your optometrist or contact lens optician should be satisfied that the lens suits your lifestyle and ocular requirements.

Some optometrists or specialist dispensing opticians may ask you to come back after a short period to check the lens fitting, eg after three months.
If you have not been provided with a specification, you should return to the optometrist or specialist dispending optician and find out if the fitting has been completed. If not, find out what issues are still under consideration, what specific steps are being taken to assess these and why that assessment is not yet completed.

If the optometrist or specialist dispensing optician still refuses to provide the specification you may want to make a complaint to the GOC.

Yes. An optometrist or dispensing optician will normally dispense glasses or contact lenses if you have a valid prescription. However, they are not obliged to do so.

Registered dispensing opticians, optometrists and medical practitioners are allowed to dispense spectacles to a prescription that is more than two years old. They may also make up spectacles without a prescription e.g. by duplicating an existing pair of spectacles.

Section 26 (2) of the Opticians Act 1989 sets out a duty for an optician to provide a patient with a written prescription immediately after a sight test. There is, however, no legislation which sets out a specific requirement to provide patients with an out-of-date prescription.

We do not prohibit a charge for providing copies but we expect any charges to be reasonable and in line with recommendations by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

We do not directly require registrants to obtain patient consent before transferring records but we expect them to follow accepted good practice including informing patients after a transfer. Patients may at any time request the transfer of their records to another optician of their choice.

Vacancies are normally listed on the GOC website, advertised in professional journals or national newspapers such as The Guardian, and/or via recruitment agencies. For a list of current vacancies, visit our vacancies page.
 

GOC employee benefits include:

1. Annual holiday entitlement of 28 days pa plus bank holidays
2. Non-contributary private medical insurance
3. Life assurance scheme
4. Long term incapacity scheme
5. Group personal pension plan
6. Interest free season ticket loan.
7. Cycle Scheme.
8. Flexible working hours.