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GOC Standard 11: Wellbeing and Burnout in Optical Practice

Promoting a Healthy and Sustainable Workplace Culture (Within S11)

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Wellbeing & Burnout (Standard 11)
Why Wellbeing Matters
Stress & Burnout
Recognising Burnout
Spotting Warning Signs
Individual Resilience Strategies
Supporting a Colleague
Organisational Responsibility
Organisational Challenges
Reflection & Personal Wellbeing
Exam Pass Notes
Reading List
Course Completion
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Scenarios: Recognising Burnout

Real cases make early signs concrete and actionable. The aim is to notice patterns, act proportionately and document clear safety-centred steps that respect privacy and dignity. Early recognition supports measured adjustments that protect patients and the practitioner's wellbeing.^[1]

Scenario

You work in a busy community eye clinic. An optometrist on your team has become forgetful and increasingly snappy with colleagues. Appointment notes are noticeably shorter than usual, referrals are taking longer to complete, and the last clinic has overrun twice this week. Colleagues report an emerging backlog of administrative tasks and a change in the practitioner's usual demeanour.

What is the safest first step, and how should it be recorded?

Pause the run-rate and check in away from patients.^[1]^[3]
Adjust today's template with buffer slots, hand off non-urgent tests, or allocate a second checker for complex dispensing.^[2]^[4]
Agree a brief review later in the week and encourage occupational health or GP contact if symptoms persist; provide peer support.^[1]^[3]
Accountability should be captured with a governance note stating who raised the concern, the specific adjustments made, the patient-safety rationale and the review date.^[6]^[8]
Immediate actions: limit interruptions during refraction; schedule an admin block to clear backlogs; ensure a real break mid-session.^[3]^[2]

Scenario

An experienced optical assistant has visibly withdrawn from the team, avoiding phone duties and increasingly making booking errors that have led to upset patients. Team members are concerned about the assistant's wellbeing and the impact on clinic flow and patient experience.

How can support be offered while protecting service reliability?

Offer a private, supportive conversation.^[1]^[3]
Adjust tasks temporarily with clear scripts and short refresher training on the PMS workflow causing errors.^[4]^[3]
Set a dated review and a named day-to-day supporter, and check for bullying or harassment as a hidden factor.^[1]^[5]
Record essentials: date and time; task changes; named supervisor; review date; signposting given.^[6]^[8]
If errors persist or risk rises, involve a manager and consider formal support routes while maintaining dignified communication.^[8]^[6]

Early, small adjustments buy recovery time and reduce immediate risk. If risk persists, move to formal assessment of fitness to practise and document who authorised temporary changes and how continuity of care was maintained for patients.^[4]^[8]^[6]

References (numbered in text)

Mental wellbeing at work (NICE guideline NG212), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Published: 02 March 2022 Find (opens in a new tab)
What are the Management Standards? Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Find (opens in a new tab)
Looking after your team’s health and wellbeing guide, NHS England Find (opens in a new tab)
Reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities or health conditions, GOV.UK Find (opens in a new tab)
Handling a bullying and discrimination complaint, Acas Find (opens in a new tab)
Good medical practice, General Medical Council (GMC), 2024 Find (opens in a new tab)
Michelle P Salyers et al., The Relationship Between Professional Burnout and Quality and Safety in Healthcare: A Meta-Analysis, Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2016 Find (opens in a new tab)
How we investigate a concern, General Optical Council (GOC) Find (opens in a new tab)

Key Points

Please take a moment to review these points, reflect on their significance and consider how they apply to your own experiences.

Tick to confirm (optional):

Early recognition: watch for changes in attention, mood, documentation quality and clinic run‑rate.
Act proportionately and immediately: pause the run‑rate, add buffer slots, reallocate tasks or a second checker.
Supportive conversations: offer private, non‑judgemental check‑ins and agree short‑term adjustments and a review date.
Document governance: record who raised the concern, exact adjustments, patient‑safety rationale and review timeline.
Practical immediate steps: limit interruptions during clinical tasks, schedule admin time, ensure real breaks.
Assistants: provide task adjustments, brief refresher training and a named day‑to‑day supporter.
Escalate when risk persists: involve managers, consider formal support routes and fitness‑to‑practise assessment if needed.
Maintain dignity and privacy while ensuring continuity of care and clear handover of responsibilities.

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Course Snapshot

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Length: 45 minutes CPD (0.75 CE Credits)
Appropriate for: Optometrists, Dispensing Opticians, Optical Assistants, Practice Managers, Locums, Practice Owners, Clinical Leads.
Course Price: Free
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Harvard

Mecourse Lifelong Learning (2025) ‘Scenario Page 1: Recognising Burnout’. Mecourse Lifelong Learning [Online]. Available at: https://www.mecourse.com/scenario-page-1-recognising-burnout [Accessed 12 May 2026].

Vancouver

Mecourse Lifelong Learning. Scenario Page 1: Recognising Burnout [Internet]. Mecourse Lifelong Learning; 2025 Aug 22 [cited 2026 May 12]. Available from: https://www.mecourse.com/scenario-page-1-recognising-burnout.

Chicago

Mecourse Lifelong Learning. “Scenario Page 1: Recognising Burnout.” 2025. https://www.mecourse.com/scenario-page-1-recognising-burnout. Accessed May 12, 2026.

APA

Mecourse Lifelong Learning. (2025, August 22). Scenario Page 1: Recognising Burnout. https://www.mecourse.com/scenario-page-1-recognising-burnout

IEEE

Mecourse Lifelong Learning, “Scenario Page 1: Recognising Burnout.” Mecourse Lifelong Learning. https://www.mecourse.com/scenario-page-1-recognising-burnout (Accessed: May 12, 2026).

AMA

Mecourse Lifelong Learning. Scenario Page 1: Recognising Burnout. Mecourse Lifelong Learning. Published August 22, 2025. Accessed May 12, 2026. https://www.mecourse.com/scenario-page-1-recognising-burnout.

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