General Opitcal Council Consults On 2010-2015 Strategy, UK

Main Category: Eye Health / Blindness
Article Date: 18 May 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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The General Optical Council (GOC) has launched an open consultation on its five-year strategy. Registrants, patients and the public, and partner organisations are encouraged to have their say on the GOC's role and work priorities for 2010-2015.

Feedback is invited on a range of issues including:

- What should the GOC's role be in relation to patients?
- How should the GOC work with other organisations to protect the public?
- How do the public know that optical professionals are doing a good job?
- How should the GOC support registrants who raise concerns?

GOC Chair, Geoff Harris said: "Now that the newly-formed Council has taken up office, we are taking the first crucial steps toward setting our agenda for the next five years. We need to ensure the GOC's role and work priorities remain relevant and proportionate in the future. To help us achieve this, we are encouraging both the public and the optical professions to get involved from the outset."

The responses will be used when formulating a draft five-year strategic plan. A further consultation on the draft plan will follow in November, with the final strategy launching in April 2010.

Partner organisations including patient groups, eye health charities and optical bodies will also be presenting their views to the new Council over the next three months.

The deadline for consultation responses is 31 August 2009. Download the consultation document and respond online at www.optical.org. Alternatively, contact Maria Claridge on 020 7307 3469 to request a paper copy.

Notes

1. The GOC has invited the following organisations to deliver presentations at a series of strategy seminars:

- May: Macular Disease Society, Action against Medical Accidents, RNIB
- June: The Department of Health, ABDO, the AOP, FODO
- July: The College of Optometrists, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists

2. The consultation runs from 15 May to 31 August 2009.

3. The Council's Consultation Framework is available from http://www.optical.org

Source
General Optical Council