The College of Optometrists

The General Optical Council (GOC) has today launched its new website as part of its mission to promote good eye care and protect the public.

Extra functionality has been added which is designed to make the site informative and user-friendly for registrants and other users. The site also meets internationally recognised standards for website accessibility (WC3) and is AAA compliant.

Key new features include:

• A registrants’ area where optometrists and dispensing opticians can log in and update their personal details. Registrants can also update and add practice addresses to their profile.
• Audience homepages to alert users to content and news that is relevant to them.
• Search the site function.
• Dedicated hearings section with explanations of the hearings process, plus details on sanctions and outcomes from past hearings.
  Glossary explaining key terms.
• Updated and revised FAQs section, including option to filter by category.
• History section exploring the origins of statutory regulation within the optical professions.
• Search for a practice results can be limited by distance from postcode
  

Popular features from the current site, including legislation and Council papers are still available, but should be easier to find and use thanks to a new structure and standardised document download formats. A policies, procedures and protocols area contains core documents on issues such as complaints and declaring criminal offences.

Kate Fielding, Head of Communications commented: “Our website is a vital information resource for registrants and the public. We’ve listened to people’s ideas and overhauled the entire site. It is designed to be accessible for everyone regardless of cultural, physical or technical barriers. We want registrants and other users to have an online experience that is informative, coherent, and engaging, and which reflects the best in UK optics and regulation.”

The relaunch of the GOC’s website is the result of a 12-month user consultation programme, involving members of the public, partner organisations and registrants. Almost 300 people participated by providing comments and suggestions on the design, structure and content of the new site.

Design agency L&Co were commissioned by the Council to produce modern, clean and spacious concepts for the site. The GOC appointed Pixl8 Interactive to develop the site based on a content management system which supports the website’s new functionality and content.