Two new appointments have been made by the General Optical Council’s advisory committees.
Paula Baines has joined the GOC’s Standards Committee and Mitesh Patel has become a member of its Companies Committee.
The regulator has also announced eight new Hearings Panel chairs, who will chair fitness to practise and registration appeal hearings. From 1 July this year, hearings will be chaired by Eileen Carr, Ian Crookall, Sara Fenoughty, Anne Johnstone, James Kellock, Rachel O’Connell, Pamela Ormerod and Valerie Paterson.
Baines, a dispensing development manager at Vision Express, was to replace Glenn Tomison as a dispensing optician member of the Standards Committee, following his appointment to Council.
She said: ‘I look forward to working with the committee during a crucial time as the GOC continues its strategic review of the standards for dispensing opticians and optometrists.’
Patel replaces Brian Carroll on the Companies Committee. He is the digital strategy director of Vision Express and founder of the online retailer Lenstore.
He said: ‘I’m looking forward to starting work as a member of the Companies Committee. I hope to bring a unique understanding of both the bricks and clicks elements of optical retailing.’