Reading List

This Reading List supports the course Recognising and Working Within Limits of Competence for UK optical professionals, focusing on authoritative guidance for safe practice, escalation, and ongoing development.

Core standards and scope of practice

• 6. Recognise, and work within, your limits of competence Core GOC standard on operating within scope and making appropriate referrals.
• 9. Ensure that supervision is undertaken appropriately and complies with the law Expectations for safe delegation and supervision to protect patients.
• Speaking up Guidance on raising concerns when patient or public safety may be at risk.

Legal and professional accountability

• Opticians Act 1989 Part IV Statutory restrictions on testing of sight, fitting of contact lenses, and protected titles.
• 12. Ensure a safe environment for your patients Includes requirements for adequate professional indemnity and working within competence.

Consent and candour

• Consent GOC guidance on obtaining and recording valid consent in optical care.
• The professional duty of candour Expectations to be open and honest with patients when things go wrong.

Safe escalation and referral

• Examining patients who present with flashes and floaters Practical College guidance including when urgent referral is indicated.
• e-Referral Service How to use the NHS e-RS for triage, advice and guidance, and booking referrals (June 2025).
• Annex 4 Urgency of referrals table College summary to help match referral urgency to clinical risk.

Communication and accessibility

• Accessible Information Standard Legal duties and practical steps to meet communication needs for disabled patients.
• Improvement framework: community language translation and interpreting services NHS framework for arranging safe interpreter support, including BSL (May 2025).

Working with disabled and neurodiverse patients

• Examining patients with learning disabilities Adjustments and communication approaches for safe, effective examinations.

Record keeping and documentation

• What to record College guidance on making clear, contemporaneous clinical records to support accountability.

CPD and reflective practice

• Reflective exercise How to complete the GOC peer discussion and reflection requirement toward the end of the cycle.
• Introduction and CPD requirements Current GOC CPD points, domains, and PDP expectations.

Clinical guidance examples

• Age-related macular degeneration NICE guideline with referral and urgent pathway recommendations for wet AMD (January 2018).

Emergency response within competence

• Adult basic life support guidelines Resuscitation Council UK guidance for immediate actions in emergencies within training (2021).