Boots fined £30k for lack of supervision

Boots Opticians has been fined £30,000 by a General Optical Council fitness to practise committee over a lack of supervision given to a trainee dispensing optician.

Allegations were proven that the company did not take reasonable and proportionate steps to prevent trainee Trevor Burgess dispensing to a 14-year-old boy without proper supervision on two occasions (News 26.06.09).

Boots was cleared of not taking reasonable and proportionate steps to ensure appropriate supervision arrangements were in place for Burgess between September 29 2005, and January 31 2007.

Burgess, who has since qualified, was found guilty of misconduct for providing spectacles to the boy in an Isle of Man practice. Although he was told his fitness to practise was not impaired, he was given a three year 'warning'. The committee found Burgess' supervisor at the time, DO Richard Simmons, guilty of failing to provide adequate supervision, but cleared him of misconduct.