Reading List

This Reading List supports learning from the course on collaboration in UK optical practice and focuses on practical, UK-relevant standards, tools and pathways. It is designed for optometrists, dispensing opticians and practice teams in community and hospital settings.

Core standards and legal frameworks

• GOC Standard 10: Work collaboratively with colleagues in the interest of patients Sets the professional expectations for teamwork, information sharing and clarity of responsibility in referrals.
• GOC guidance: The professional duty of candour Explains how to be open and honest with patients when things go wrong, supporting a just and collaborative culture.
• The Caldicott Principles Core UK rules for sharing patient information appropriately across teams and organisations (Dec 2020).
• Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice Practical guidance on assessing capacity, best interests decisions and involving carers where appropriate.
• Working together to safeguard children 2023 Statutory multi-agency framework for sharing information and coordinating safeguarding responses across services (Dec 2023).

Communication and handover tools

• SBAR Implementation and Training Guide A practical UK guide to structuring urgent calls and handovers using Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (Nov 2017).
• NICE QS174: Structured patient handovers Quality statement endorsing structured handovers, including SBAR and explicit task ownership (Sep 2018).
• Improving patient safety culture: a practical guide NHS England toolkit for building psychological safety, speaking up and effective multidisciplinary teamwork (Jul 2023).
• Huddle sheets and supporting guidance Templates to run brief safety huddles that align actions across the team and surface risks early (Jun 2023).

Inclusive communication and access needs

• Accessible Information Standard overview Duties on services to identify, record and meet communication needs, including BSL and alternative formats.
• Accessible Information Standard implementation guidance Step-by-step advice and resources to implement AIS in practice workflows (Jun 2025).
• Guidance for commissioners: Interpreting and translation services in primary care Principles for safe use of professional interpreters and practical commissioning considerations (Sep 2018).
• Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag action checklist How to record and share reasonable adjustments across services to support consistent care (Apr 2024).

Cross-professional referrals and pathways

• College of Optometrists: Referrals Guidance on when and how to refer, what to include, and communicating outcomes back to the originating practitioner.
• NHS e-Referral Service: Referrer best practice guidelines Practical steps for creating complete, actionable referrals and attaching relevant documents and images (May 2025).
• RCOphth Emergency Eye Care Commissioning Guidance Standards for urgent and emergency eye care pathways, triage and escalation between community and HES (Dec 2021).
• RCOphth vision for better integrated eye care services Recommendations on referral filtering, advice and guidance, and closing the loop to reduce avoidable delays (Feb 2024).

Working with families and carers

• NICE NG150: Supporting adult carers Guidance on identifying and supporting unpaid carers and involving them appropriately in care plans (Jan 2020).
• GMC 0-18 years: professional standards UK guidance on assessing capacity, involving families, and balancing confidentiality with safeguarding for children and young people.