General Optical Council consults on testing of sight and delegation

The General Optical Council (GOC) launched a consultation on a draft updated statement on the testing of sight and proposed revisions to the supervision and delegation standards in the Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians and the Standards for Optical Students.

Eye care had developed significantly over the previous decade, and changes in both workforce roles and technology meant the GOC’s 2013 position statement on the testing of sight no longer reflected current practice. By updating the statement, the GOC aimed to clarify relevant legislation for registrants, support responsible innovation in sight‑testing formats, and strengthen public protection through appropriate safeguards.

The consultation addressed two main issues:

• delegation of some parts of the sight test

• separation of the sight test by time, person, and/or place

Delegation of parts of the sight test

The proposed updated statement confirmed that optometrists could delegate certain pre‑screening checks to suitably trained colleagues, provided the optometrist retained overall control of the process and oversight of delegated tasks. The statement did not alter the duties or responsibilities of optometrists but reinforced their central role in sight testing and better reflected modern clinical practice.

Separation of sight test components

New formats of sight testing, including teleoptometry, had emerged in recent years. These developments created opportunities to improve access to care but also raised concerns about patient risk. The updated statement outlined a regulatory framework enabling registrants to innovate responsibly while reducing risks through safeguards relating to clinical audit, staff training, patient suitability and risk assessment, patient choice and consent, and consideration of vulnerable patients.

The statement reiterated the legal requirement for sight tests to include both eye‑health and vision checks, and confirmed that a spectacles prescription could not be issued until all statutory components of the sight test were completed.

Updates to supervision and delegation standards

The GOC also consulted on changes to its supervision and delegation standards. It sought stakeholder views on oversight arrangements for unregistered colleagues undertaking delegated activity, including whether such activity could occur without a registrant on the premises. For student supervision, the consultation proposed retaining the requirement for a registrant to be on the premises, able to oversee work and intervene when necessary.

Steve Brooker, Director of Regulatory Strategy, commented that sight testing had changed significantly since 2013, and the updated statement aimed to reflect modern clinical practice. He noted that expert consensus supported delegation of certain pre‑ and post‑screening checks, freeing optometrists to focus on clinical decision‑making and patient care. He added that the proposals should not require registrants to change their approach but would provide welcome clarity.

Brooker also emphasised that the statement reinforced the optometrist’s central role by confirming that clinical responsibility for the patient remained with the optometrist conducting the sight test. He highlighted the public‑health benefits of requiring both eye‑health and vision checks and reminded registrants that prescriptions could only be issued once all statutory components were complete.

The consultation ran for 14 weeks and closed on 21 October 2026. Responses could be submitted via the consultation hub or by contacting the GOC directly.