Patient and public views on refraction

We are looking to commission deliberative research to understand the views of patients and the general public on whether dispensing opticians should be permitted to carry out refraction for the purposes of the sight test, and, if so, under what circumstances and regulatory controls. This will involve designing and conducting the research, then analysing and reporting on the findings.

The research, alongside other evidence on this topic, will inform our policy development as part of its call for evidence on legislative reform project.

The aim of the research is to help us better understand:

views and perceptions of both patients and the public on these issues, including on the core question of whether dispensing opticians should be allowed to refract for the purposes of the sight test; if dispensing opticians were permitted to refract, should this be limited in some way, e.g. only under the supervision of an optometrist or registered medical practitioner; and what additional regulatory safeguards would give patients and the public confidence in the system and mitigate any risks.