Search results for Consultations

We have responded to a green paper on prevention public from the Department of Health and Social Care.

[ARCHIVE] We have responded to the GOC’s proposals for the future education and training requirements for independent prescribing (IP) and specialist entry to the GOC register.

Dr Paramdeep Bilkhu MCOptom, Clinical Adviser for the College, on the scope of practice and eye care services in optometry practices.

The College responded to a consultation from the All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre.

[ARCHIVE] In October 2020 we responded to the GOC’s proposals for the future of pre-registration optometry education as part of their Education Strategic Review.

The GOC is consulting on its proposal to change the current CET scheme to help it develop and finalise policy changes. 

The College of Optometrists and the Association of Optometrists (AOP) have submitted a joint response to the Department for Transport consultation on introducing mandatory sight tests for older drivers.

We have responded to a Health Education England call for evidence making the case for greater investment in the optometry workforce to support better integrated eye care now and in the future.

After consulting with members, we have sent our final response to the GOC.

We've responded to a consultation on the development of a new Integrated Care System model in Northern Ireland.

We have submitted our response to the All Wales Common Ailments Service formulary consultation

We have responded to the Home Office call for evidence on mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse.

We have responded to the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) consultation on two draft guidance documents.

We have responded to the Hewitt review: call for evidence on ICSs in England, to help inform a new way of working.

We have responded to the Department of Health and Social Care consultation on 'Regulating anaesthesia associates and physician associates.'

We have submitted our response to Healthcare Improvement Scotland's cataract surgery standards scoping consultation.

The aim of this consultation is to deliver a regulatory health and care system that is responsive, flexible, and resilient.

We have responded to the General Optical Council (GOC) consultation on regulation of optical businesses.

We have responded the General Optical Council (GOC) consultation proposing to reform optometrists' Continuing Professional Development into a flexible, less prescriptive system.

We've issued a statement in response to the GOC's call for evidence to review the Opticians Act (1989).

We have responded to the General Optical Council (GOC) consultation on revised Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians, Standards for Optical Students and Standards for Optical Businesses.

Read our response to the GOC's draft Speaking Up guidance.

The Scottish Government is seeking views on the establishment of a new national delivery organisation to lead transformation across the health and social care system.

We respond to UK Government’s proposals to regulate NHS managers in England.

The main purpose of the bill is to abolish NHS England and centralise its services, creating single patient records where patient health information is available in one place.

The College responded to a DSHC consultation to support the extension of provision of free PPE to the health and care sector, including optometrists, after 31 March.

The College joined the biggest national conversation about the NHS in England in order to keep eye health high on the agenda.

Following feedback from members we have finalised our response to the consultation on an optometrist apprenticeship standard, and our open letter to the Trailblazer Group.

The College has responded to a consultation on whether health and social care staff had the right skills and training to provide effective care to people with a learning disability or autism.

The College has responded to a consultation on GOS statistics publications (November 2019).

The College proposes 13 key changes to help minimise the risk of healthcare-associated infections and ensure the guidance remains aligned with the four Nations' public health advice.

We have responded to a consultation on the NHS 2020/21 National Tariff Payment System.

Read our response to a consultation on the way the Northern Ireland Diabetic Eye Screening Programme is provided.

The purpose of this survey is to establish Council's views on the principal issues raised by the GOC consultation on proposed changes to its statement on testing of sight and supervision and delegation standards. These views will be used to inform the College's consultation response.

We responded to the Department of Health and Social Care’s consultation on Regulating healthcare professionals, protecting the public.

The College has responded to a consultation on disclosing confidential information about patients.

The GOC opens consultation on proposed changes to its requirements for education and training in independent prescribing.

We have responded to a consultation on the General Optical Council's (GOC) draft strategic plan 2020-27.

We responded to the GOC's consultation on its new draft Speaking Up guidance.

The General Optical Council (GOC) has launched its consultation on revised Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians, Standards for Optical Students and Standards for Optical Businesses.

The GOC has launched consultations on its remote hearings protocols, service of statutory notices and its hearings and indicative sanctions guidance.

The General Optical Council (GOC) has presented a draft response to its call for evidence on the need for change to the Opticians Act (1989) and the consultation on associated GOC policies to its Council.

The College broadly welcomes the General Optical Council’s (GOC) proposed changes to its optical business regulation framework following the regulatory body’s consultation with the sector earlier this year. 

We have responded to the GOC's consultation on whether, in some circumstances, it would be more appropriate to use email rather than post to deliver statutory notices.

Read our response to the General Optical Council's (GOC) Education Strategic Review (February 2019).

We've responded to the GOC's hearings and indicative sanctions guidance consultation.

We have responded to the GOC's remote hearings protocol to support the fitness to practise process with the administration and progression of hearings as restrictive lockdown measures continue to ease.

The Department of Health and Social Care is consulting on proposals for mandatory COVID-19 and flu vaccinations for all frontline health and social care workers in England.

The College is seeking your input on the development of key principles for the safe expansion of scope of practice when providing new eye care related clinical procedures, activities or services.

The GOC is consulting on an update to its 2013 Statement on the testing of sight, alongside proposed changes to the Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians and the Standards for Optical Students.

Members have been invited to have their say on the Guidance for Professional Practice - updated once every three years.

Have your say and help shape the content of the upcoming 2026 Guidance for Professional Practice. Share your feedback by 30 March.

Feedback on our draft response on changes to qualification requirements for specialist entry onto the register.

We all have the opportunity to ensure the 10 Year Health Plan for the NHS recognises the central role optometrists play in leading and delivering new models of care to improve patient outcomes.

The Westminster government has launched a consultation on its 10 Year Health Plan to fix the NHS in England.

We have responded to an NHS consultation on proposals for changing legislation.

The College of Optometrists has responded to the Department of Health Northern Ireland consultation on improving access to Help with Health Costs for those receiving Universal Credit.

Following feedback from members we have finalised our response to the consultation on an optometrist apprenticeship standard, and our open letter to the Trailblazer Group.

Thank you to all our members who have fed back on an optometrist degree apprenticeship consultation.

Read our response to the consultation on conditions for which over the counter items should not be routinely prescribed in primary care.

Read the College's response to the NICE consultation on its quality standard for dementia (February 2019).

Concerns surrounding the submission of the apprenticeship standard and end point proposal mean the proposed optometry apprenticeship degree is on hold for the time being.

Take part in our latest research project in conjunction with the University of Warwick and the Department for Transport

We have responded to the Department of Health and Social Care consultation on 'Healthcare regulation: deciding when statutory regulation is appropriate.'

The consultation covered OCT use in diabetic retinopathy referral, shared decision making for cataract surgery, and glaucoma referral criteria.

We have responded to the The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch’s investigation on the “Lack of timely monitoring of patients with glaucoma”.

Next steps to building strong and effective integrated care systems across England.

The General Optical Council (GOC) regulates optometrists and dispensing opticians, and some eye care practices. It sets standards for their performance and conduct. The GOC is consulting on proposed changes to the way NHS sight tests can be delivered.

We've responded to the Royal College of Ophthalmologists' (RCOphth) consultation on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) Services.

We have responded to the UK National Screening Committee's consultation on glaucoma.

We've responded to a consultation by the Department of Health and Social Care on making vaccination a condition of deployment in the health and wider social care sector.

We responded to a Royal Pharmaceutical Society consultation on a competency framework for all prescribers.

We have responded to a Scottish Government consultation on Falls Prevention Strategy.

The College is inviting members to provide final comments on our draft response to the GOC's Speaking Up consultation.

The GOC has launched a consultation on its new draft Speaking Up guidance, designed to support registrants to speak up about concerns, particularly those affecting patient and public safety.

We have responded to the DHSC consultation on revoking vaccination as a condition of deployment across all health and social care.

We have responded to the GOC consultation on the illegal supply of eye care services and optical appliances.

In our response, we have highlighted the critical role of primary eye care and the optometric workforce in delivering integrated, cost-effective NHS services.

We have responded to the General Optical Council (GOC) consultation on its new strategy for 2025-2030.

Read our response to GOC's call for evidence to review the Opticians Act (1989).

College responds to UKNSC consultation on childhood vision screening.

The College responds to DVLA's consultation on amending the Road Traffic Act 1988 to allow registered healthcare professionals to complete DVLA medical questionnaires.

The College of Optometrists has responded to General Optical Council (GOC) consultation on draft guidance on the care of patients in vulnerable circumstances and maintaining appropriate sexual boundaries.

The General Optical Council (GOC) sought views on how they can continue to support registrants and the optical sector throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The College of Optometrists has submitted written evidence to the Senedd’s Health and Social Care Committee with our views on the Welsh Government's priorities for health and social care.

We are inviting members, stakeholders and the general public to share their thoughts on the proposed updates to the Guidance for Professional Practice.

The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan is a crucial chance to expand and strengthen primary eye care by cutting hospital pressure and tackling inequalities in access across England.

The College of Optometrists' public consultation on the next edition of its Guidance for Professional Practice is open for feedback until Monday 3 August 2026.