General Optical Council

The White Paper will bring several important changes to the GOC over the next few years: 

2008

• The Health and Social Care Act 2008 became law on 21 July 2008. Consequently, all nine UK healthcare regulatory bodies will be statutorily required to apply the civil standard of proof in their fitness to practise proceedings from Autumn 2008. 
• Secondary legislation was passed on 9 July 2008 placing a statutory duty on all healthcare regulatory bodies to ensure they consider the interests of stakeholders in their decisions. 

2009

• In accordance with the White Paper's recommendation that Councils become 'smaller and more board-like', the GOC has agreed to reduce the number of Council members to no more than 13; initially moving to parity of lay and professional membership early 2009, with flexibility built in for the newly- constituted Council to appoint an additional lay member once the legislation allowing a lay majority is passed (mid 2011).

2011

• The Health and Social Care Act 2008 created a new independent adjudication body (the OHPA) which is set to begin hearing cases in early 2011.  Although the OHPA's initial remit will be to adjudicate GMC fitness to practise cases only, provisions have been included in the Act to allow the GOC to transfer its adjudication function at the earliest opportunity.
• The White Paper endorsed the principle of revalidation for all health professionals and the GOC expects to introduce a system of revalidation by April 2011.