Erased must reapply by end of August

A number of those struck off the Opticians Register for failing to declare that they are insured have been subsequently restored, the GOC has confirmed.

Practitioners who have been erased and have not acted now only have a few days to seek restoration, it has emerged.

Last week the Council reported 316 optometrists and dispensing opticians had been erased in a first-of-its-kind move, following changes to the Opticians Act.

However, this week a spokeswoman said the GOC was busy with calls from concerned practitioners hoping to be reinstated. Within three days of the announcement that 168 optometrists and 148 dispensing opticians had been erased, about a dozen had been restored. By Wednesday (August 24) 50 had been reinstated or restored.

'We've been able to take immediate action,' said the spokeswoman. 'We can't give a precise figure of how many of the 316 may be restored because enquiries are coming in all the time.'

She said the phones at the Council's Harley Street offices had been 'non-stop'.

The list of those remaining registrants who have been removed, and have not been reinstated or restored, will be sent to PCTs in the monthly amendment list on September 1.