Who is the General Optical Council (GOC)

The General Optical Council (GOC) is a body corporate created by the Opticians Act 1989 (OA 1989) to have the general function of promoting high standards of professional education, conduct and performance with an over-arching objective of the protection of the public.

The GOC role is to protect, promote and maintain:

1. •

   the health, safety and well-being of the public

2. •

   public confidence in the professions they regulate

3. •

   professional standards and conduct for Registrants and prospective Registrants, and

4. •

   proper standards and conduct for business Registrants

This Practice Note provides a guide to GOC fitness to practise proceedings, investigations, and applications to be restored to the Register. The GOC regulates registered Optometrists as well as Dispensing Opticians. In this Practice Note a ‘Registrant’ is:

1. •

   a registered Optometrist

2. •

   dispensing Optician

3. •

   student Optometrists, or

4. •

   a Registered Business

This Practice Note should be read in conjunction with Practice Notes: Common principles in fitness to practise proceedings and Criminal proceedings and convictions in healthcare