PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(20 April 2026)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of the time taken and (b) effectiveness of the General Optical Council's action in cases of malpractice.

Asked by:
Jayne Kirkham (Labour)

The Department has regular discussions with the General Optical Council (GOC) on regulatory matters.

While the GOC is an independent regulator responsible for managing its fitness to practise processes, the Government expects the GOC to take steps to improve the efficiency and timeliness of case handling.

In March 2026, the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) published its 2024/25 performance review of the GOC, concluding that that it met all 18 Standards of Good Regulation, including those relating to fitness to practise. The PSA found that most fitness to practise investigations were timely and adequate, with risks managed appropriately. However, the PSA identified some areas for improvement which the GOC is addressing through an action plan. The PSA will monitor the progress of this plan as part of its continuous oversight of GOC’s performance.

In parallel, the Department is progressing wider, longer-term reforms to the regulatory frameworks of the healthcare professional regulators. These will enable them to be more responsive to changes in the health and care workforce and give them the flexibility to modernise their fitness to practise processes whilst maintaining public protection.

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