Optical professionals appear to be dragging their heels over registering with the GOC this year.

With just five weeks to go before the March retention deadline, the Council has revealed that 13,253 applications – 67% – are still outstanding.  

As OT reported late last year, registrants face substantial increases in retention fees from this year, and an online petition against the large rises, called ‘Stop GOC fee increases’, has 643 signatures.

Although a total of 6,503 registrants have returned their application for retention, the GOC confirmed yesterday (February 8), two-thirds are yet to submit their applications prior to the March 15 deadline.

Registrants who have not renewed their registration by the deadline will have to pay a £20 late penalty on top of the usual fee (£325 for optometrists and £280 for dispensing opticians). Practitioners who have not renewed by March 31 will be removed from the registers from April 1, and a list of those removed will be published on the GOC website, and copies sent to primary care organisations.

Dian Taylor, chief executive and registrar, said: “I urge registrants to act now and complete the application process to avoid the problems and penalties that come with failing to meet the retention deadlines.”


top | back

• Stunned optoms are struck off in error during GOC listing fiasco - 09/04/2009
• GOC removes 464 'opticians' from its registers - 02/04/2009
• Less than two weeks until March 15 retention deadline - 03/03/2009
• ‘Renew your registration now or face £20 penalty,’ GOC warns - 16/02/2009

Matt
February 14th, 2010
Quote: Dian Taylor, chief executive and registrar, said: “I urge registrants to act now and complete the application process to avoid the problems and penalties that come with failing to meet the retention deadlines.” This just makes me think that they want me to give them my money quickly.

Sorry..I'm feeling quite jaded about the GOC when it comes to finances at the moment.