Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Staying ahead – guidance on the new 2025-27 CPD cycle

With the new CPD cycle having started in January, this GOC blog provides some key guidance for registrants. It looks at why CPD is important, why completing your personal development plan should be your first step in the cycle, and some tips on making the most of CPD.

Read Staying ahead: guidance on the new 2025-27 CPD cycle

CPD Grant Claims

This year, the grant claim window was delayed as requested by NHSE and will run from Monday 8th December 2025 to Tuesday 31st March 2026.

The CPD claim value for 2025 is £596. The payment applies to CPD undertaken by optometrists between 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024, which will be paid to contractors in the following month’s payment run, after the claim has been processed.

CPD grant claims are handled by PCSE, who have full information on the claiming process here. FAQs about the process are available here.

Watch a video about the process.

From 2020 it has been mandatory for all claims to be submitted via PCSE Online, and both performers and contractors will need to be registered before submitting a claim. Note that locums may ask the PCSE user administrator at any practice to generate a performer account for them. If your contract holder has not assigned a user administrator, please ask them contact PCSE on 0333 014 2884 to set this up.

If you have forgotten your PCSE Online log in all you need to do is access the log in page and click on ‘Forgotten password’. You will then be sent a password reset link by email.

To be eligible to claim the CPD allowance in the relevant period you must have:

been on the relevant ophthalmic list for at least six months

undertaken GOC-approved CPD

performed primary ophthalmic services under a GOS contract