About this course
Respect and fairness mean inclusive care, stronger trust, and safer professional practice.
[podcast mini /media/goc-standard-13-intro.mp3]
Think about the last time you felt truly respected—not just listened to, but genuinely valued. Now think of the opposite, when your voice was ignored or assumptions were made about you. The difference isn’t small. In healthcare, it can define whether a patient feels safe enough to share concerns, follow advice, or even return for care.
That’s why GOC Standard 13 goes beyond courtesy—it makes respect, fairness, and non-discrimination essential parts of safe practice. Every introduction, every option explained clearly, every record kept with transparency builds trust and protects both patients and professionals. And when bias—conscious or not—creeps in, it isn’t just unfair, it risks safety, complaints, and lost confidence.
This course will show you how to hard-wire fairness into daily practice with simple scripts, structured consultations, and clear records. By embedding these habits, you make respectful care routine, defensible, and safe. The result? Patients who feel heard, teams who feel supported, and a practice that demonstrates integrity in every interaction.
Non-discrimination is central to patient-centred care and professional integrity. This course helps you understand your responsibilities, challenge unfair treatment, and create an environment where every patient and colleague is valued. With practical guidance, you will be ready to meet GOC Standard 13 with confidence.
This course is relevant to the whole optical team, including
- Registered optical professionals wanting reliable CPD mapped to GOC Standards
- Locums, jobseekers, and overseas practitioners needing to demonstrate current knowledge
- Colleagues addressing professional challenges who require structured CPD for reflection and remediation
- Managers and teams who want consistent, defensible training
CPD Time: 60 minutes (1 CE Credit / 1 Non-interactive CPD Point)
Assessment: 10 MCQs. Pass mark 80%. more…
On passing the assessment you will immediately receive a CPD Certificate.
Customer feedback on this course
- Clear, practical steps to apply Standard 13 in everyday clinics.
- Useful scripts and checklists I can use at the point of care.
- Helped our team reduce ambiguity around commercial conversations.
- Good balance of legal context and simple, usable behaviours.
- Practical scenarios made recognising bias much easier.
Aim:
The aim of this course is to enable optical staff to demonstrate respect, fairness, and non-discrimination in line with GOC Standard 13 through practical behaviours, documentation, and team controls.
Course objectives:
- Provide teaching on respectful, inclusive communication and simple fairness checks for consultations, dispensing interactions, and teamworking.
- Deliver practical scripts, scenarios, and record-keeping tools to recognise and prevent discrimination, manage disrespect professionally, and document accountability consistently.
Anticipated learning outcomes:
On course completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate inclusive, respectful communication and reasonable adjustments (Standard 13) including effective use of interpreters and accessible formats.
- Apply fairness principles (Standard 13) when prioritising care and discussing commercial options, documenting clear clinical rationale and shared decisions.
- Recognise and respond to discriminatory behaviours and micro-biases (Standard 13) using mitigation, de-escalation, appropriate escalation routes, and factual incident records.
GOC Framework Mapping:
Standard 13: Respect, Fairness, and Non-Discrimination
Domain: Professionalism
Learning content:
Aim | Objectives | Anticipated Learning Outcomes | Introduction: Why Respect and Fairness Matter | Professional Respect in Everyday Practice | Scenario Page 1: Everyday Respect | Fairness in Patient Care | Scenario Page 2: Fairness in Action | Recognising and Avoiding Discrimination | Scenario Page 3: Discrimination in Practice | Managing Disrespect from Others | Scenario Page 4: Handling Disrespectful Behaviour | Reflection and Continuous Improvement | MCQ | Reading List
View full course description
GOC Standard 13: Respect, Fairness, and Non-Discrimination in Optical Practice
Course Description
GOC Standard 13: Respect, Fairness, and Non-Discrimination in Optical Practice
This module gives optical registrants and practice teams practical, evidence-based actions to embed respect, fairness and non-discrimination across consultations, dispensing and team interactions. The focus is on behaviours, records and team systems that protect patient safety and build trust.
Introduction: Why Respect and Fairness Matter
This section explains the links between respectful practice, patient safety and complaint reduction. It highlights situations where fairness is tested and why consistent behaviours matter.
Professional Respect in Everyday Practice
Learn concise behaviours: listening, body language, tone, promoting autonomy and shared decisions, working with carers and interpreters, and managing time pressure without compromising dignity.
Scenario Page 1: Everyday Respect
Practical adaptations for rushed consultations, appropriate inclusion of carers, and clear record-keeping to show accountability.
Fairness in Patient Care
Cover consistent recommendations, prioritisation by clinical need, transparent handling of commercial options, and reasonable adjustments for accessibility.
Scenario Page 2: Fairness in Action
Examples balancing overruns and waiting patients, avoiding commercial pressure, and documenting clinical rationale.
Recognising and Avoiding Discrimination
Define protected characteristics, direct and indirect discrimination, micro-behaviours and unconscious bias, with practical mitigations such as checklists and interpreter use.
Scenario Page 3: Discrimination in Practice
Reception inclusion for people with learning disabilities, culturally sensitive handling of dress or modesty, and recording preferences.
Managing Disrespect from Others
Techniques to name behaviour not the person, use de-escalation scripts, escalate appropriately and support staff. Guidance on factual incident records is included.
Scenario Page 4: Handling Disrespectful Behaviour
Maintain the patient’s voice, set boundaries around discriminatory language, apply policy and manage rebooking safely.
Reflection and Continuous Improvement
Structured reflection, feedback loops, simple audits and training to sustain respectful, equitable care.
MCQ
Ten multiple-choice questions test key practice checks, communication examples and fairness principles. Pass mark 80%.
Reading List
Key references: GOC standards and guidance, Equality Act and EHRC materials, Accessible Information Standard and CQC, NICE shared decision-making and carers guidance, plus records, complaints and staff safety resources.
Course Completion
Participants complete a feedback survey, take the MCQ and receive a CPD certificate on passing. The course encourages reflection and application of the behaviours in practice.
You can copy and adapt this example PDP entry for your own needs and circumstances.
| PDP Learning or Maintenance need |
| Apply GOC Standard 13 in everyday optical practice |
| How does this relate to my field of practice? |
| Ensures consultations, dispensing and team interactions are dignified, equitable and legally compliant. |
| Which development outcome(s) does it link to? |
| Standard 13 — Respect, fairness and non-discrimination |
| What benefit will this have to my work? |
| Reduced complaints, clearer records, safer shared decisions and improved patient trust. |
| How will I meet this learning or maintenance need? |
| Complete this course, practice scripted responses, and apply quick fairness checks in clinics. |
| When will I complete the activity? |