GOC removes 221 registrants

The GOC has removed 195 practitioners and 26 bodies corporate from its registers, after they failed to apply for 2012-13 retention – just 1% of the registers.

 

A total of 93 optometrists and 102 dispensing opticians were removed after missing the March 31 deadline. It is now illegal for them to continue practising in the UK.

 

Philip Hallam, GOC head of registration, said: “This year, as in previous years, the vast majority of our registrants applied for retention on time. This underlines to both the public and the optical professions that our registrants understand the importance of GOC registration and the responsibilities that come with it. Only a small number failed to apply on time, and they have now left themselves unable to practise until they restore to our registers.”

 

96.8% of registrants renewed their registration using MyGOC, the regulator’s online retention system, which is a 2% increase on last year’s 94.8%.

 

Any individual or business registrants who have been removed, but wish to continue practising, must complete a restoration form and pay a £330 restoration fee. 

 

Tagged with: GOC, Optical Body