Research on Commercial Practices in Eye Care

The General Optical Council is seeking to commission qualitative research to explore commercial practices in the eye care sector and their impact on patient safety. We invite input from GOC registrants (optometrists and dispensing opticians), non-GOC regulated eye care staff (such as optical assistants), optical businesses (both GOC registered and non-GOC registered), and patient representative groups. The research will involve designing, conducting, analyzing, and reporting on the findings. The objectives are to understand: - The nature and extent of commercial practices in the eye care sector. - Any negative impacts on patients and the public. - Any negative impacts on individual registrants (optometrists and dispensing opticians). - The perspectives of businesses regarding the balance between providing safe patient care and operating commercially. - Potential actions the GOC and the wider eye care sector can take to mitigate negative impacts on patients, the public, and registrants. The budget for this project is capped at £40,000, including VAT and all contractor costs. Proposals exceeding this budget will not be considered. The deadline for submitting tenders is 5 PM on November 27, 2025. Please send your proposals and any questions to Angharad Jones (Policy Manager) at ajones@optical.org.