Why Respect and Fairness Matter

Respect and fairness are safety behaviours. Patients and carers tend to trust optical services when dignity is visible, decisions are explained, and teams act consistently across different backgrounds and needs. ^[1][6]

Safety link to Standard 13

General Optical Council (GOC) Standard 13 requires showing respect and fairness and not discriminating. This expectation applies to greetings, consent, advice on spectacles or contact lenses, and the tone used with carers. When communication is even-handed, complaint numbers and incidents usually fall. ^[1][4][5]

Where fairness shows up

Fairness is tested in waiting rooms, in how overrun clinics are handled, and in whether options are presented neutrally. It is also tested when language barriers, disability, age, or culture shape expectations. Small choices accumulate and set the climate. ^[3][7]

Quick wins

• Offer introductions and use names correctly.
• Check preferred pronouns and communication needs.
• Explain options and costs with the same clarity for everyone. ^[6][3][2]
• Invite questions before closing the consultation.

What your recorsd should show

Records can show who was present, what options were offered, when advice was given, and why a particular recommendation was made. It helps to use neutral language and avoid assumptions about means, culture, or family roles. ^[2]

Shared language for difficult moments

Short scripts can help under pressure. "Let me check I've understood your priority before we choose lenses," offers a respectful reset. "I'll address your question, then I'll come back to [patient name], so we keep their voice central," protects autonomy. ^[9][6]

Locums, students and assistants

Temporary staff benefit from the same orientation on respect expectations. A one-page guide can cover introductions, accessibility prompts, interpreter routes, and how to escalate if a conversation becomes disrespectful. ^[1]

Simple tools

• A fairness checklist for dispensing conversations. ^[8][2]
• A short decision log noting options discussed, financial transparency given, and any adjustments for disability or language.

Staying on track

Bias often creeps in during busy periods.^[7]

Brief "fairness checks" in huddles can keep standards high: Are equivalent explanations being offered to everyone? Are older patients or those with learning disabilities being rushed? ^[8]

Measuring what matters

Teams can sample a few records monthly for clarity and neutrality. Complaint themes about respect can be reviewed and learning fed into scripts and training. Sharing quick wins-such as better introductions or clearer cost explanations-helps behaviours stick. ^[8]

References (numbered in text) Why we include references

1. 13. Show respect for fairness to others and do not discriminate — General Optical Council Find (opens in a new tab)
2. Good medical practice — General Medical Council Find (opens in a new tab)
3. Accessible Information Standard (DAPB1605) — NHS England Find (opens in a new tab)
4. Physician-Patient Communication: The Relationship With Malpractice Claims Among Primary Care Physicians and Surgeons — JAMA; Wendy Levinson; Debra L. Roter; John P. Mullooly; Valerie T. Dull; Richard M. Frankel; 1997 Find (opens in a new tab)
5. A 22 month study of patient complaints at a National Health Service hospital — Int J Nurs Pract; Sajith Siyambalapitiya; Julie Caunt; Natalie Harrison; Lesley White; Denise Weremczuk; Devaka J S Fernando; 2007 Find (opens in a new tab)
6. Marrying Content and Process in Clinical Method Teaching: Enhancing the Calgary–Cambridge Guides — Academic Medicine; Suzanne Kurtz; Jonathan Silverman; John Benson; Juliet Draper; 2003 Find (opens in a new tab)
7. Physicians and Implicit Bias: How Doctors May Unwittingly Perpetuate Health Care Disparities — J Gen Intern Med; Elizabeth N. Chapman; Anna Kaatz; Molly Carnes; 2013 Find (opens in a new tab)
8. Quality improvement made simple — The Health Foundation; 2021 Find (opens in a new tab)
9. SPIKES - A six-step protocol for delivering bad news: Application to the patient with cancer — The Oncologist; W. F. Baile; R. Buckman; R. Lenzi; G. Glober; E. A. Beale; A. P. Kudelka; 2000 Find (opens in a new tab)