Foul play?

Both the College of Optometrists and the Association of Optometrists have gone to considerable lengths to encourage proper record keeping. In the past, the GOC disciplinary committee has commented on the lack of proper record keeping in a number of cases. The twist is that if Mr Wilson had kept proper records, and these bore out his treatment of the patient, he might never have appeared before the disciplinary committee at all, and certainly would not have been found guilty of Serious Professional Misconduct and been fined and suspended. While it is impossible to comment in detail on the case without seeing the transcript, the penalty which was imposed does appear somewhat severe. Poor record keeping is not something to be encouraged but it must have been pretty appalling to justify suspension for a year. This case is a clear illustration of the need to introduce new disciplinary processes which can deal with transgressions according to their severity rather than the all-or-nothing situation that exists at present. An added anachronism is that once the suspension is over a practitioner is under no obligation to prove his ongoing competence. The sooner new rules are agreed the better it will be for patients and practitioners alike.