Professional Matters Optometry & Dispensing
FODO responds to consultation on testing of sight
FODO responds to consultation on testing of sight
FODO has submitted its response to the GOC’s consultation on an updated statement on the testing of sight and related changes to the supervision and delegation requirements in its Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians and Standards for Optical Students.
In our response, we say that the GOC has rightly situated the important protections of the Opticians Act within their social, legal and technological context.
The updated statement reflects the contemporary reality of how optical care is delivered, enabling safe innovations in technology and service delivery models while safeguarding patients from harm.
On the proposals for delegating activities to assistants, we have argued for wording in standards that ensures patient safety while giving eye care providers the flexibility to innovate safely to meet patient needs.
Dispensing to children and people who are registered sight impaired is a higher-risk activity. Following engagement with ABDO colleagues and consideration of ABDO’s white paper on paediatric dispensing, we have argued that it cannot be delivered safely without a dispensing optician present and able to intervene when necessary.
