# Patient and public views on refraction

> A sourced UK public sector contract award published by GENERAL OPTICAL COUNCIL.

## Key facts

- Buyer: [GENERAL OPTICAL COUNCIL](/buyers/general-optical-council/contract-awards)
- Tender value: £40,000
- Published: 10 October 2022
- Contract start: 8 November 2022
- Contract end: 31 March 2023
- Stage: open_tender
- Procurement category: services
- Notice ID: 67942be4-a9ae-46d2-ba19-db9d07119f05-579294
- OCID: ocds-b5fd17-620afdff-67d5-4c6d-a02e-f9374f3a055b

## Description

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\.

## Related contract awards

- [General Optical Council ITT commercial practices and patient safety](/contracts/ocds-b5fd17-661b6163-357a-4db5-be8a-39d6a04b6e8f) — GENERAL OPTICAL COUNCIL
- [General Optical Council's research into reforming its system of business regulation](/contracts/ocds-b5fd17-32b3b621-62f4-445d-a752-c545ce6662d5) — GENERAL OPTICAL COUNCIL
- [General Optical Council's qualitative research into the lived experience of patients and GOC registrant optometrists and dispensing opticians](/contracts/ocds-b5fd17-746c5d33-52a6-4976-980d-520ca2219b8d) — GENERAL OPTICAL COUNCIL
- [Testing of sight risk-based framework](/contracts/ocds-b5fd17-b0eb63e1-9b9b-4524-9b20-0105d7185617) — GENERAL OPTICAL COUNCIL
- [CA18374 - Kirklees College - Vending Machines](/contracts/ocds-b5fd17-d2435ff5-f177-48b2-a030-685e87285f36) — Kirklees College
- [RA360101 - CONSTRUCTION OF NEW OFFICE SPACE](/contracts/ocds-b5fd17-c8b011dd-bfaf-4a3b-8cef-51a5e5dc1190) — Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
- [RA360100 - PHW WINTER GRITTING](/contracts/ocds-b5fd17-5cf6b5bb-63d4-4984-b046-81114d0ac2fa) — Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
- [RA360097 - Floor Power & Data Cabling](/contracts/ocds-b5fd17-373366e5-2dbf-42f9-a6ef-ade0c52450a3) — Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
- [QOC937 2026-08-25 \(0900\) Beccles - Bure Park Specialist Academy, Great Yarmouth \(4 seats\) - AWARD](/contracts/ocds-b5fd17-7ca10681-12f2-476e-93c5-018597ad2650) — Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport
- [EPR Delivery Partner - Benefits Realisation Services](/contracts/ocds-b5fd17-6176f4a6-96f7-4055-b1c2-7d2528a56e7b) — United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- [EPR Delivery Partner - Testing Delivery and Assurance Services](/contracts/ocds-b5fd17-5242b8de-ea34-40dc-930f-8c593a05e574) — United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- [QBH179 2026-08-25 \(0900\) Winston to Castle East School, Bungay \(4 seats\) - AWARD](/contracts/ocds-b5fd17-7e173943-0209-4866-93ea-c3e611f1b8eb) — Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport

## Source

[View the original notice on Contracts Finder](https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/67942be4-a9ae-46d2-ba19-db9d07119f05-579294)