22 June 2026

Help shape the College’s updated Guidance for Professional Practice

Consultations Public health 2026

The College of Optometrists has today launched a public consultation on the next edition of its Guidance for Professional Practice which will be open for the next six weeks until Monday 3 August 2026.

The consultation gives College members, eye care professionals, patients and the public the opportunity to help shape the Guidance that will set the standards for optometric practice across the UK for the next three years.

The Guidance for Professional Practice is the cornerstone of safe, effective and high-quality eye care for over 21 million patients across the UK every year. The 2026 edition is the most significant revision in the its recent history, introducing three new sections and over 75 amendments to the existing Guidance for optometrists, ensuring it remains evidence-based, relevant and responsive to the changing needs of patients and practitioners.

Proposed updates

Proposed amendments to the existing Guidance cover key areas of practice, including: 

  • myopia management and professional titles
  • a new public protection position prohibiting misleading dyslexia-related advertising claims
  • an updated infection prevention and control section in alignment with Royal College of Ophthalmologists’ recommendations for disinfection of reusable instruments and fitting lenses
  • updated glaucoma referral and community pathway guidance
  • and a new professional duty of candour applying to all registrants

New guidance for today’s evolving practice

Three new sections are proposed to address the most pressing issues facing the profession today:

  • artificial intelligence and new technologies: setting out clear expectations on clinical accountability, data governance, transparency with patients, and AI literacy, as AI tools become increasingly embedded in eye care practice
  • expanding scope of practice: providing practical guidance on how optometrists can safely move into new areas of practice
  • culture and governance: introducing an explicit expectation that optical businesses must not use scheduling methods that compromise patient safety, such as routine overbooking or "ghost clinics", and must allow sufficient time for individual patient needs, including for children, neurodivergent patients, and those with complex needs

“This is an important opportunity for everyone with an interest in eye care to have their say and influence the standards that underpin safe, effective and high-quality eye care. We want to ensure the Guidance reflects people’s real-world experiences, whether they’re a front-line optometrist, practice owner or patient, as well as grounding the Guidance in evidence-based research. Our proposed updates reflect the realities of the modern eye care landscape, including the rapid adoption of AI, expanding clinical roles and the need for workplace cultures that support professional judgement and patient-centred safe and effective care.”

Denise Voon MCOptom Prof Cert Med Ret OptPE, clinical advisor at The College of Optometrists

Following the six-week consultation and review of feedback submitted, with our sector wide task and finish group, the College will publish the fifth edition of its Guidance for Professional Practice in winter 2026.

Have your say

Tell us your views on the proposed changes and/or the new sections of the Guidance. 

Details of the Guidance for Professional Practice proposed CHANGES (PDF)
Details of the Guidance for Professional Practice proposed NEW sections (PDF)
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