Remediation in GOC cases
For the GOC, remediation means the steps you take to put right the shortcoming behind a concern and to reduce the risk of it happening again. The GOC’s Guidance for Case Examiners lists the kinds of steps it has in mind: reflection, additional training and supervision. Its Hearings and Indicative Sanctions Guidance treats timely steps to remediate, and the timely development of insight during the investigation, as mitigating factors.
Remediation matters because GOC decision makers look forward, not back. The Fitness to Practise Committee asks whether you are fit to practise unrestricted in your current state, whether you still present a risk to the public, and whether public confidence and professional standards would be undermined without action. Well-evidenced learning helps answer those questions. It cannot change what happened, and the GOC describes dishonesty and sexual misconduct as less capable of remediation.
Before you start
We are an independent CPD provider, not part of the GOC. No regulator approves remediation courses, and no course can guarantee an outcome. Take advice from your defence organisation, union or solicitor, and agree with them which learning is relevant to your case.
Which course fits your GOC concern
Match courses to the standard in question. One targeted course with a strong reflection is worth more than many unrelated certificates.
Missed pathology, referrals and clinical decisions
Many GOC cases involve sight-threatening conditions not detected or not referred in time. These usually turn on deficient professional performance or misconduct and on whether the risk has been reduced. Pair clinical CPD in the area concerned with learning on safe systems, escalation and referral, and show how your examination routine has changed.
Record keeping
Records are central evidence in GOC investigations and your own reference point if a complaint arises. Gaps in recording what tests were done, what was advised or why a referral was or was not made can undermine an otherwise sound decision. Remediation should show a changed recording habit, ideally supported by an audit of recent records.
Dishonesty and probity
The GOC treats honesty as fundamental and describes dishonesty as less capable of remediation than clinical failings. Remediation cannot undo dishonest conduct, but it can show you understand why it damages trust in the profession and that you have changed the circumstances that led to it, for example around claims, records or CPD declarations.
Professional and sexual boundaries
The 2025 Standards of Practice made explicit that registrants must not engage in conduct of a sexual nature with patients and must maintain appropriate boundaries. The GOC regards sexual misconduct as less capable of remediation. Where the concern is lower level, such as over-familiarity, inappropriate messages or examination conduct, learning should address boundaries, chaperoning and consent.
Communication, consent and patients in vulnerable circumstances
The updated standards ask registrants to give extra support to patients in vulnerable circumstances and to tell patients who will provide their care. Concerns about rudeness, poor explanation of results or unclear consent are often resolved at case examiner stage where insight is clear. Show how your consultations now work in practice.
Confidentiality and patient images
The 2025 standards added an expectation to protect patient privacy when sharing images, including online and on social media. Breaches can arise from posting clinical images, discussing patients in group chats or accessing records without reason. Remediation should cover consent for images, data handling and the practice systems you now follow.
Candour and handling complaints
The Standards of Practice expect openness when something goes wrong and a prompt, full and honest response to complaints. A defensive or dismissive reply can turn a minor concern into a formal referral. Learning on candour and complaint handling helps show you now respond in the way the GOC expects, and that you can spot early when a patient’s concern needs escalating.
How a GOC fitness to practise case moves forward
Most GOC cases are decided on paper. Your written representations, and the remediation evidence attached, matter most at the case examiner stage.
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Triage
When a concern arrives, the GOC carries out preliminary enquiries, which it calls triage, to decide whether the matter should be formally investigated. If it goes forward, you are told in writing that an investigation has opened. This is the moment to contact your professional body, indemnity provider or a solicitor, and to start keeping a dated record of anything you do in response to the concern, including any learning you begin.
- 2
Investigation
GOC investigators gather evidence, which can include clinical records, witness statements and, where needed, an expert clinical opinion. You receive the evidence collected, and the complainant may comment on your response before the file goes to case examiners. The GOC’s guidance gives registrants 28 days to make written representations before case examiners consider the allegations. Representations can be used to show insight and learning, not only to dispute facts.
- 3
Case examiners
Two case examiners, one a registered optometrist or dispensing optician and one a lay person, decide the case on the documents. They ask whether there is a realistic prospect of establishing that your fitness to practise is impaired to a degree that justifies action on your registration. They do not make findings of fact. Their decision must be unanimous. Your reflection, training records and testimonials are read closely at this stage.
- 4
Case examiner outcomes
Case examiners can take no further action, give advice (which has no formal status), issue a warning, or refer the case to the Fitness to Practise Committee. A warning is recorded for four years and is only issued after you have had the chance to respond. If the two examiners disagree, or a health or performance assessment is needed, the case goes to the Investigation Committee, which has the same referral powers.
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Interim orders
At any point, the Registrar, case examiners or the Investigation Committee can refer you to the Fitness to Practise Committee for an interim order if there is a risk to the public. The committee can impose interim suspension or conditional registration under section 13L of the Opticians Act 1989. An interim order is not a finding against you, but it is wise to show practical steps that reduce risk while the case continues.
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Fitness to Practise Committee hearing
At a substantive hearing the committee decides whether the facts are proved, whether they amount to a ground such as misconduct or deficient professional performance, and whether your fitness to practise is currently impaired. If it is, the committee can take no further action, impose a financial penalty of up to £50,000 (not in health cases), conditional registration for up to three years, suspension for up to 12 months, or erasure. If you are not impaired, it can still issue a warning. Sanctions usually take effect 28 days later unless an immediate order is made.
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Review hearings
If the committee imposes conditional registration or suspension, it can direct a review hearing. Its written determination should explain the sort of evidence you would be expected to provide at that review. Read that part carefully: it is effectively your remediation brief. Collect dated evidence against each point the committee named, rather than offering a general CPD record, and show what has changed since the original order.
What GOC decision makers look for
The GOC’s Guidance for Case Examiners and its Hearings and Indicative Sanctions Guidance, updated in 2026, point to the same qualities.
Acknowledgement and insight
Case examiners consider whether you have acknowledged the concerns and shown a degree of insight. The sanctions guidance treats acceptance that you should have behaved differently as mitigating, and refusal to accept mistakes as aggravating. Insight means explaining what went wrong, why it matters to patients and public trust, and what you would now do differently. If you dispute the allegations, decision makers are told to be cautious about insight, so take advice on framing your learning.
Timeliness
The GOC refers repeatedly to timely insight and timely remediation. Its sanctions guidance lists the timely development of insight during the investigation as mitigating, and names promising to remediate but failing to take appropriate steps as an aggravating factor. Learning that starts early in the investigation, and builds steadily, is more persuasive than a burst of certificates the week before a hearing. Date every piece of evidence so the timeline is clear to the reader.
Reduced risk of repetition
Case examiners look for steps that may reduce the risk of repetition, such as reflection, additional training or supervision, and for evidence that the concern is unlikely to be repeated. Show the change in practice, not just the course you completed. For example, a new protocol for referrals, a revised recall system, or a supervisor’s note confirming how you now handle the situation that went wrong. Concrete, checkable changes carry more weight than general statements.
Link to the Standards of Practice
The Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians are the benchmark. The edition in force from 1 January 2025 added or strengthened standards on patients in vulnerable circumstances, identifying yourself and your role, sexual boundaries, inclusive workplace culture, digital technology and sharing patient images online. Naming the specific standards you fell short of, and explaining how you now meet each one, shows the decision maker you understand exactly what was expected of you.
Remorse and apology
The sanctions guidance treats evidence of insight and remorse as mitigating, and a refusal to apologise as a sign of lack of insight. A sincere, specific apology to the patient, where appropriate and given after advice, is part of remediation. The Standards of Practice also expect you to respond promptly, fully and honestly to complaints, so the way you handle the complaint itself, from your first reply onwards, forms part of the picture the GOC sees.
Recommended GOC remediation courses
All 19Each course is self-paced and online. You get scenario-based questions with an 80% pass mark, a structured reflective account and a CPD certificate showing your name, the course title and the CPD hours.
Fitness to Practise for Healthcare Professionals
A Core Course on Regulation, Current Impairment and Professional Response in the United Kingdom
Professionalism and Professional Standards for Optometrists and Opticians
GOC Standards, Professional Roles and Conduct in Optical Practice
Ethics and Ethical Standards for Optometrists and Opticians
Consent, Patient Safety, Boundaries, Candour and GOC Standards in Optical Practice
Ensuring Clinical Competence and Patient Safety for Healthcare Professionals
Competence, Safety, and Continuous Development in Practice
Professionalism in Documentation for Healthcare Professionals
Accuracy, Integrity and Accountability in Clinical and Non-Clinical Records
Probity for Healthcare Professionals
Honesty, Integrity, and Trust in Professional Practice
Ethical Boundaries with Patients and Colleagues
Recognising, Maintaining and Restoring Professional Limits
Ensuring Effective Communication as Healthcare Professionals
Clear, Respectful and Patient-Centred Communication in Practice
Duty of Candour in Healthcare Practice
Being Open and Honest When Things Go Wrong
Building your GOC remediation bundle
Case examiners decide on paper, so your bundle must speak for itself. Organise it around the allegations and link each item to a standard.
What to put in your bundle
- A reflective statement addressing each allegation and the specific Standards of Practice involved, with your CPD record attached.
- Certificates from targeted CPD courses completed after the concern arose, with dates.
- Your structured reflective account for each course, showing what you learned and how you apply it.
- A personal development plan agreed with a supervisor or mentor, with review dates.
- Supervision or peer review notes confirming changes in your clinical practice.
- An audit of your recent records or referrals, if the concern involved recording or referral decisions.
- Copies of any new practice protocols, checklists or recall procedures you introduced.
- Testimonials from colleagues or employers who know about the concern and can comment on your current practice.
Writing your reflection
- Describe what happened briefly and factually, then spend most of the statement on what you have learned.
- Name the Standards of Practice you fell short of and explain how you now meet each one.
- Explain the impact on the patient and on public trust in optometry and dispensing optics, not only the impact on you.
- Give dated examples of changed practice, write it yourself, and have your adviser check it before you submit.
When to start GOC remediation
Start as soon as you know about the concern, after taking initial advice. The GOC’s sanctions guidance values the timely development of insight during the investigation, and case examiners usually see your written representations within the 28-day window. Learning already under way at that point carries more weight than a promise to do something later.
Do not stop after the case examiner stage. If the case is referred, the committee looks at your current state at the date of the hearing, and a review hearing looks at what has changed since the original order. Keep adding dated evidence and update your reflective statement as your understanding develops.
Warnings and what remediation can change at case examiner stage
Most GOC cases are decided on paper by case examiners, not at a hearing. Between no further action and referral, they can give advice, which has no formal status, or issue a warning, which is recorded for four years. A warning can only be issued after you have had an opportunity to respond, so your representations matter.
Case examiners consider whether insight and remedial steps make repetition unlikely. Strong, early, targeted remediation does not guarantee a lower outcome, but it gives them the material to consider one. After a referral, the GOC process also allows case examiners to consider an application to terminate the referral. Ask your adviser whether that could apply to you.
Common mistakes in GOC remediation
- Promising training in your representations and then not doing it, which the GOC lists as aggravating.
- Choosing generic courses that do not match the allegation, such as a communication course for a missed referral case.
- Writing a reflection that blames the complainant, the employer or the workload without acknowledging your own part.
- Ignoring the 2025 Standards of Practice, which added expectations on boundaries, vulnerability and patient images.
- Submitting a stack of certificates with no explanation of how the learning changed your practice.
Core course
Fitness to Practise for Healthcare Professionals
Our most complete remediation course: 4 CPD hours and 40 scenario questions on impairment, insight, remediation and reflection, with a certificate when you pass.
GOC remediation: common questions
Are these courses approved by the GOC?
No. The GOC does not approve, accredit or endorse remediation courses from any provider. Case examiners and the Fitness to Practise Committee judge the evidence you put in front of them: whether your learning is relevant, whether your reflection shows insight, and whether your practice has changed. Our courses include a CPD certificate and a structured reflective account to help you produce that evidence, but the decision maker decides its weight.
Will a course guarantee a better outcome?
No. No course can guarantee any outcome in a GOC case. Decision makers weigh the seriousness of the concern, the facts, risk to the public and the public interest, as well as your insight and remediation. For dishonesty or sexual misconduct, remediation is harder to show. A course works best alongside reflection, supervision and advice from your defence organisation or solicitor.
What do GOC case examiners look for?
Whether there is a realistic prospect of establishing that your fitness to practise is impaired to a degree that justifies action. Their guidance asks whether you have acknowledged the concerns, shown insight, and taken steps that reduce the risk of repetition, such as reflection, training or supervision. They decide on the papers, so clear written evidence is essential.
How long do I have to respond to the GOC?
The GOC’s Guidance for Case Examiners gives registrants 28 days to make written representations after receiving the evidence. Check the exact deadline in your letter. If you need more time, ask the GOC promptly in writing, ideally through your adviser. Starting remediation early means your representations can include evidence of learning, not just promises.
What is a GOC warning and how long does it last?
A warning is an outcome case examiners can issue when a hearing is not needed but the conduct should be formally marked. Under the GOC’s guidance it is recorded for four years, and you must be given the chance to respond before it is issued. The Fitness to Practise Committee can also issue a warning where it finds you are not currently impaired.
Which standards will my GOC case be judged against?
The Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians are the benchmark. The current edition came into effect on 1 January 2025, with new or strengthened expectations on vulnerable patients, identifying yourself, sexual boundaries, inclusive culture, digital technology and patient images. Older events may be considered against the standards in force at the time, so ask your adviser which version applies.
Do the courses include a certificate and reflective account?
Yes. Each course is self-paced online and available immediately after purchase. Standard courses carry 2 CPD hours and 15 multiple choice questions; the Fitness to Practise course carries 4 CPD hours and 40 questions. The pass mark is 80%. You complete a structured reflective account and receive a CPD certificate PDF with your name, course title and CPD hours.
Official sources
This page was checked against General Optical Council guidance in October 2026. Processes and guidance change, so always confirm the current position with the regulator and your adviser. This page is general information, not legal advice.
- How we investigate a concern – General Optical Council
- Guidance for Case Examiners – General Optical Council
- Hearings and Indicative Sanctions Guidance for the Fitness to Practise Committee – General Optical Council
- Sanctions we can impose – General Optical Council
- New GOC Standards launched – General Optical Council
- FtP Focus: Case Examiners – General Optical Council