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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
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Scenarios: Supporting a Colleague

Colleagues in distress benefit from structured, kind help. The goal is to stabilise the day, protect patients and agree a plan that respects privacy while making risk visible and manageable.^[3]^[1]

Scenario

Mid-clinic, the waiting room is busy and phones are intermittently ringing. After a particularly challenging safeguarding call a staff member becomes visibly upset: eyes reddened, voice tight, and they insist they are "fine" and try to continue with appointments and tasks.

You quietly guide them away from the clinical area to a quieter space to assess immediate needs while keeping patient safety and privacy central to your approach.

What should the immediate response be?

Move the colleague to a private space and remove time pressure.^[3]
Reallocate the next appointment or arrange cover for phones and urgent tasks; agree who will complete any outstanding, time-sensitive work and set a specific later check-in time.^[4]
Offer a peer debrief or manager support and share staff helpline details; keep the tone calm, validating and non-judgemental.^[3]
Record now: time; staff involved; actions taken to protect patients; and signposting offered.^[2]
Follow-up: ensure any safeguarding actions are completed and confirm a date to review the colleague's wellbeing and workload.^[1]

Scenario

During a full clinic a practitioner begins to show clear signs of exhaustion - decision-making slows, scheduled breaks are missed, hands tremble slightly - yet they insist on finishing the session and pressing on with their full list of patients.

A colleague notices the pattern and pauses to consider immediate steps to reduce risk to patients and support the practitioner.^[6]

When is it right to stop, and how is that documented?

Apply Standard 11 and the individual's limits of competence.^[1]
Stop or slow the clinic as needed: lengthen remaining appointment slots, move non-urgent patients to later clinics and add a second checker for decisions already made.^[4]
Inform the duty manager and arrange a check-in before the practitioner's next shift.^[5]
Document clearly: Who noticed the concern; What was changed; When the changes applied; Why the changes reduced risk; and the Review owner and review date.^[2]

If risk continues across shifts, seek occupational health input and consider temporary removal from patient-facing duties with a clear, dignified return plan aligned to patient safety.^[5]

References (numbered in text)

Standards for optical businesses (effective from 1 January 2025) | General Optical Council Find (opens in a new tab)
Standards of practice for optometrists and dispensing opticians | General Optical Council Find (opens in a new tab)
Looking after your team’s health and wellbeing guide | NHS England Find (opens in a new tab)
What are the Management Standards for work-related stress? | Health and Safety Executive Find (opens in a new tab)
Sickness Absence Toolkit (Using your occupational health service) | NHS Employers Find (opens in a new tab)
Healthcare Staff Wellbeing, Burnout, and Patient Safety: A Systematic Review — Louise H Hall et al., PLoS One (2016) 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):

Stabilise the day: private space, remove time pressure and reallocate or cover immediate tasks to protect patients.
Use calm, validating language; offer peer debrief, manager support and signpost staff helplines.
Record immediate facts now: time, staff involved, actions taken to protect patients and signposting offered.
Arrange follow-up: confirm safeguarding completion, set a date for wellbeing and workload review.
For severe exhaustion apply Standard 11 and limits of competence: stop or slow the clinic, lengthen slots, move non-urgent patients and add a second checker.
Inform the duty manager and set a pre-shift check-in before the clinician next works with patients.
Document clearly: Who noticed concern, What changed, When it applied, Why it reduced risk, and the Review owner/date.
If risk persists across shifts seek occupational health and consider temporary removal from patient-facing duties with a dignified return plan.

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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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Mecourse Lifelong Learning (2025) ‘Scenario Page 2: Supporting a Colleague’. Mecourse Lifelong Learning [Online]. Available at: https://www.mecourse.com/scenario-page-2-supporting-a-colleague [Accessed 12 May 2026].

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Mecourse Lifelong Learning. Scenario Page 2: Supporting a Colleague [Internet]. Mecourse Lifelong Learning; 2025 Aug 22 [cited 2026 May 12]. Available from: https://www.mecourse.com/scenario-page-2-supporting-a-colleague.

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Mecourse Lifelong Learning. “Scenario Page 2: Supporting a Colleague.” 2025. https://www.mecourse.com/scenario-page-2-supporting-a-colleague. Accessed May 12, 2026.

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Mecourse Lifelong Learning, “Scenario Page 2: Supporting a Colleague.” Mecourse Lifelong Learning. https://www.mecourse.com/scenario-page-2-supporting-a-colleague (Accessed: May 12, 2026).

AMA

Mecourse Lifelong Learning. Scenario Page 2: Supporting a Colleague. Mecourse Lifelong Learning. Published August 22, 2025. Accessed May 12, 2026. https://www.mecourse.com/scenario-page-2-supporting-a-colleague.

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