DO escapes penalty

A GOC hearing concluded that the fitness to practise of dispensing optician Deena Ataie was not impaired despite performing the duties of a DO while still a student.

Ataie admitted to a fitness to practise committee she had worked as a DO without being registered with the GOC as a DO between August and November 2010.

These duties were carried out on a total of 14 days at Vision Express in Brent Cross when she was still registered as a student dispensing optician.

The committee said it was satisfied that Ataie had been aware she needed to be qualified as such before she could perform the functions, but attached weight to the fact she had qualified as a DO in August 2010 and contacted the GOC to move from the student register.