07 February 2012
The GOC has announced plans to carry out further consultation with stakeholders on an amendment to its Fitness to Practise Rules.
The GOC will consult on one proposed change, which will result in case examiners, rather than the GOC’s Registrar, reviewing decisions not to refer registrants to the fitness to practise committee. This follows the Council’s decision in September 2011 that the rules should be amended in this way in response to stakeholder feedback.
It is anticipated that the new fitness to practise rules will be fully implemented in 2013. The Council aims to agree plans for the transitional period in April 2012. As part of the new rules, the GOC will be recruiting up to 12 case examiners to include optometrists, dispensing opticians and lay people. Further details of the recruitment timetable will be announced in the coming months.
Further details can be found at www.optical.org/en/news_publications/consultations/index.cfm