The General Optical Council met yesterday in Cardiff and was expected to agree a freeze to the registration fee for 2007-08, making it the fourth consecutive year that fees have not gone up.
A standard registration will remain at £169 with student registration at £20. Newly qualified registrants will, for the first time, be able to take advantage of a pro rata scheme where they will only have a pay a proportion of the full registration calculated from the date of joining to March 31.
The meeting took place after Optician went to press, but a pre-Council briefing added that an increase in fees was anticipated for 2008-09.
Following news that the Department of Health is beginning a formal consultation on the introduction of a single complaints process across all health and social care, the GOC's finance and procedure committee felt it was best to postpone plans to tender for a consumer complaints service provider.
It felt it was inappropriate to award a three-year contract until government plans were clarified, so a 12-month contract extension was agreed with current provider, the Optical Consumer Complaints Service.
Members of Council also received an update on progress following the GOC's clarification on the law relating to the sale and supply of optical appliances (News, November 3) .The GOC has this month met with the Association of British Dispensing Opticians and the College of Optometrists to discuss the recommendation that their respective guidance should be updated in line with the GOC's interpretation of the law.
ABDO and the College accepted the GOC's suggestion that their guidance in this area should be identical and in synergy with the Queen's Counsel opinion to the GOC, according to the agenda for yesterday's meeting.