Optical sector bodies urge GOC to rethink approach to CPD reform
Joint response calls for public protection, clarity and evidence to be central to new system.
“The College welcomes the GOC’s consultation as an opportunity to update the CPD framework and increase the flexibility and diversity of the CPD system. But we would caution that any reforms must also minimise bureaucracy and create a more efficient mechanism for auditing registrants and providers that remains rooted in maintaining professional standards and patient safety, while enabling registrants to take ownership of their own CPD.”
Ian Humphreys, CEO of The College of Optometrists
“ABDO fully supports the move towards CPD that is meaningful, outcomes‑focused and relevant to day‑to‑day practice. However, reform must be built on clear evidence, a realistic assessment of impact, and above all an unwavering commitment to public protection. Our message to the GOC is simple: work with the profession to get this right, because poorly designed change risks creating confusion rather than improving standards.”
Alistair Bridge, CEO of ABDO
“Most other health professions already have the sort of freedom that the GOC is proposing for professionals in optics. We know that many of our members experience the current system for recording their CPD as bureaucratic. All of our members appreciate clarity and structure in their professional lives, and it is the job of GOC to provide that with any reforms it makes.”
Dr Ian Beasley, Head of Education of AOP
"We welcome the movement to a more outcomes-based approach which supports optometrists and dispensing opticians to undertake the CPD that best meets their needs. However, the GOC should avoid an unnecessarily prescriptive system for businesses, which might add to regulatory burdens and costs without any clear benefits."
Michael Guthrie, Director of Policy and Regulation at FODO