You must recognise and work within the limits of your professional competence. ¹

You must know the standards of competence for your job role. Where you are working beyond core competencies for an optometrist, for example, working in community services or working as an independent prescriber, you must be capable of working at that standard.

If you observe a sign or symptom which you cannot manage within your competence, you must refer the patient to a practitioner with the appropriate qualifications and registration. ⁵ See section on Working with colleagues.