Reading List

This Reading List supports the course on effective communication in UK optical practice and is aimed at optometrists, dispensing opticians, and optical teams.

Core standards and guidance

• 2. Communicate effectively with your patients Sets the GOC expectation for clear, patient-centred communication in practice.
• Consent Explains how to obtain, check, and record valid consent in optical care, including capacity and information sharing.
• The professional duty of candour Clarifies duties to be open and honest with patients when things go wrong and how to meet them.
• 14. Maintain confidentiality and respect your patients' privacy Outlines legal and professional requirements for confidentiality, privacy, and secure records.

Shared decision making and patient experience

• Shared decision making NG197 Practical recommendations to embed shared decision making in consultations (June 2021).
• Patient experience in adult NHS services QS15 Quality statements to improve communication and the patient experience across NHS services (updated July 2019).
• Shared decision-making NHS England overview with implementation resources for teams.
• Decision support tools Clinically reviewed tools to support risk and options discussions with patients.

Health literacy and checking understanding

• Health Literacy Toolkit Quick techniques including Teach-Back to check and improve patient understanding (June 2023).

Accessible communication and inclusion

• Accessible Information Standard What the AIS requires and how to meet communication and information needs.
• Accessible Information Standard - implementation guidance Detailed guidance for putting AIS into practice, with templates and examples (June 2025).
• Content guide NHS Service Manual guidance on clear, plain English content and tone for patient materials.

Language and interpreting

• Interpreting and translation in primary care Explains responsibilities and routes to arrange professional interpreting for primary care.
• Improvement framework: community language translation and interpreting services Framework to commission high quality interpreting and translation across NHS settings (May 2025).

Communicating with deaf or hard of hearing patients

• Communicating with people with a hearing loss in person Practical clinical tips for face to face communication with people who lip read or use hearing aids.

Patient information to support explanations

• Patient information booklets Royal College of Ophthalmologists plain language leaflets to share during consultations.
• Glaucoma Current NHS overview to support simple explanations and safety netting advice (2025).
• Floaters and flashes in the eyes NHS advice on warning symptoms and when to seek urgent help, useful for safety netting (June 2023).

Complaints and resolution

• 18. Respond to complaints effectively GOC requirements for handling complaints with openness, sensitivity, and timely responses.
• Optical Consumer Complaints Service Free, GOC funded mediation to help resolve optical complaints when practice resolution is not possible