General Optical Council

We strive to engage with and consult patients, the public and other organisations as we carry out our work. These partnerships enable us to keep up with changing needs and expectations.

Public and Patient Involvement
The Council participates in the joint health and social care regulators’ Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Group. Past projects include a joint regulators’ information leaflet, and commissioning a healthcare regulation PPI handbook.

Our staff and members continue to work with voluntary and campaigning organisations which represent public and patient groups. These include groups with specific interests in eye care services for the visually impaired, diabetics and elderly people.

Want to find out more about Patient and Public Involvement? Visit the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health’s (CPPIH) website.

Other organisations
We work in partnership with the optical professional and representative bodies, and training and educational institutions. The GOC is committed to cooperating with the other UK healthcare regulators.

Consultations
We have consulted widely on policy, including changes made to our Continuing Education and Training (CET) scheme and the standard of proof to be used when judging the truth of facts presented in professional hearings.