Why Honesty Matters

Honesty is the backbone of safe, person-centred eye care. When information is complete and truthful, consent is valid, referrals are accurate, and patients can trust both advice and costs. ^[1][3]

Standards, safety, and public confidence

General Optical Council (GOC) Standard 16 requires honesty and trustworthiness in words, records, and conduct. That duty covers clinical conversations, notes, commercial advice, complaints handling, and how mistakes are admitted and corrected. Public confidence is built through clear explanations, realistic promises, and records that match what actually happened. ^[1][4]

Time pressure and sales targets often add stress. Shortcuts—such as backdating, rounding findings, or overstating benefits—must be avoided. Recommendations should be based on clinical need, not on price or margin. ^[5][1]

• Helpful habits: be open about uncertainty; use “teach-back” for key risks; add corrections with a timestamp; and return promised calls, even if the answer is not yet ready. ^[6][3][4]
• Useful tools: short decision logs for unusual advice; conflict-of-interest registers; and referral templates that show findings, red flags, and unanswered questions. ^[5][3][2]

Clear communication builds trust

Patients should receive plain-English summaries to support choice. Clinically suitable options across price points must be presented with the same care and tone. Clinicians should explain what will happen today, what must wait, and what to do if symptoms get worse. ^[6][2][1]

Honesty includes correcting errors quickly.

^[4][7]

If a mistake is found, staff should explain what changed, what it means, and how risk will be controlled. The discussion should be recorded factually and raised where systems need to change. ^[4][7][3]

Records that withstand scrutiny

Good notes must show who made the decision, what was done or not done, when it happened, and why it served the patient’s interests. Copy-forward must always be checked. Numerical data and device outputs should be stored so later readers can see the evidence. ^[3][2]

• Two quick checks: “Would a reasonable colleague believe this account?” and “Would I be comfortable reading this note aloud in a complaint meeting?” These questions help keep records professional and accurate. ^[3][1]

References (numbered in text) Why we include references

1. 16. Be honest and trustworthy — General Optical Council (Standards of practice for optometrists and dispensing opticians), General Optical Council, 2025. Find (opens in a new tab)
2. Standards for optical businesses (effective from 1 January 2025) — General Optical Council. Find (opens in a new tab)
3. Good medical practice — General Medical Council. Find (opens in a new tab)
4. Openness and honesty when things go wrong: The professional duty of candour — General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2015. Find (opens in a new tab)
5. Managing conflicts of interest in the NHS — NHS England, 2024. Find (opens in a new tab)
6. Jason Talevski, Anna Wong Shee, Bodil Rasmussen, Georgie Kemp, Alison Beauchamp, "Teach-back: A systematic review of implementation and impacts" — PLoS One, 2020. Find (opens in a new tab)
7. S Philpot, A Sherwin, S Allen, "Open disclosure" — BJA Education, 2024. Find (opens in a new tab)