The College of Optometrists

GOC Registrar, Peter Coe, has erased 316 registrants from the Opticians Register.  All have failed to return forms declaring that they are adequately insured.

 

Under changes to the 1989 Opticians Act, the GOC is empowered to establish additional requirements for registration. Registrants must make declarations relating to fitness to practise, criminal convictions and their physical and mental health as well as insurance. The Rules relating to Registration took effect from 30 June 2005.

 

Registrants were originally asked to provide the information when returning the 2005 renewal forms. Further letters were sent out on 10 May and 5 July. The Council is now legally required to remove anyone from the Register who has not provided evidence that they are covered in accordance with Section 10A(1)7 of the revised Act.

 

All registrants subject to the erasure have been sent a letter explaining why the action has been taken.

 

Peter Coe said, “In some cases, this may be just an oversight, or confusion about the new requirements. But we are now legally required to have evidence that all registrants are insured, so the Council has no choice but to take a firm line.”

  

For further information contact:

Kate Fielding

Communications Manager

General Optical Council

41 Harley Street

London W1G 8DJ

t: 020 7307 3472

f: 020 7436 3525

m: 07763 210019

e: kfielding@optical.org