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  6. 2023 archived consultation: Managing applications for GOC registration from optical professionals who have qualified outside the UK or Switzerland

2023 archived consultation: Managing applications for GOC registration from optical professionals who have qualified outside the UK or Switzerland

Closed:

4 Oct 2023

Opened:

12 Jul 2023

We asked

Our proposal to update the process for managing applications for GOC registration from optical professionals who have qualified outside the UK followed the approval in February 2021 of new education and training requirements (ETR) for GOC approved qualifications leading to registration as an optometrist or a dispensing optician.

We undertook a full public consultation on our proposal to update the process for managing applications for GOC registration from optical professionals who have qualified outside the UK, which was open for 12 weeks from 12 July to 4 October 2023.

You said

We received 36 written consultation responses from a range of stakeholders including our registrants, members of the public, the education sector, and optical representative organisations. The findings are summarised in our GOC response to the consultation (see the ‘files’ section below).

We did

We have decided to develop two alternative routes to registration for applicants who have qualified outside the UK:

  1. successfully completing a GOC approved qualification which meets the ETR (either in the UK or overseas) with admissions handled directly between provider and applicant and no GOC involvement in assessing applications; or
  2. successfully completing a GOC managed direct assessment of the Outcomes for Registration, leading either to direct entry to the register or access to a GOC approved qualification which meets the ETR.

To support both routes to registration, we will commission an analysis that maps potential equivalent qualifications in certain overseas countries against the ETR. This will aim to identify qualifications and/or qualification systems that potentially might match or exceed the ETR, and where subject to the necessary approvals, recognition of that qualification and/or qualification system could potentially offer direct entry to the GOC register.

Where this analysis demonstrates a shortfall in expectations between the ETR and overseas qualifications and/or qualification systems, this gap analysis will assist providers of GOC approved qualifications in their decisions whether or not to admit an overseas qualified professional to a GOC approved qualification leading to entry to the register, and in their design of such qualifications.

Our full response and an updated impact screening assessment can be accessed below.

Files

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

Original consultation

This consultation was previously hosted on our consultation hub. We have moved it here as part of archiving.

Overview

This consultation seeks your views on our proposed revised approach to managing applications for GOC registration from optical professionals who have qualified outside the UK or Switzerland, following the introduction of the GOC’s updated education and training requirements. These proposals are available to download at the bottom of this page under the 'related' section. 

Why are we consulting?

The process for managing applications for GOC registration from optical professionals who have qualified outside the UK or Switzerland needs to be updated following the approval in February 2021 of new education and training requirements (ETR) for GOC approved qualifications leading to registration as an optometrist or a dispensing optician.

This is because optical professionals who have qualified outside the UK or Switzerland who wish to join the GOC’s register must meet the same standards of education and training as optical professionals who have qualified in the UK.

What will our proposals replace?

At present, optical professionals who have qualified outside the UK or Switzerland applying to join the GOC register are assessed by us against our handbook requirements (Quality Assurance Handbooks for optometry (2015) and ophthalmic dispensing (2011)). If that assessment is successful, applicants then go on to undertake either the College of Optometrists' Scheme for Registration (for optometrists) or ABDO’s examinations (for dispensing opticians).

Now that our two quality assurance handbooks have been replaced by our new ETR, we need to consult on how we might manage applications to the GOC register for optical professionals who have qualified outside the UK or Switzerland, and how we might assess whether they meet our updated ‘Outcomes for Registration’ for optometry and dispensing optics.

In this consultation we propose that the management of the checks the GOC registration team currently undertake will change (checks such as an applicant’s levels of training, experience, registration with their own country’s regulator, and English language testing) as will the assessment of an applicant’s prior qualifications and experience by our independent assessors.

Why your views matter

Our proposed revised approach affects optical professionals who have qualified outside the UK or Switzerland, following the introduction of the GOC’s updated education and training requirements. We are interested in registrants’ and stakeholders’ views on the proposed approach and any impacts this may have.

What happens next

When the consultation has closed we will analyse the consultation responses in line with our Policy on approach to consultation. The final decision will be made by our Council.