GOC begins court action over unsupervised sale of lenses

Legal argument was due to take place yesterday (Thursday) at Hendon Magistrates Court in a General Optical Council prosecution over the alleged sale of contact lenses without supervision.

Vision Direct UK of Ballards Lane, Finchley, London faces six summonses brought under Section 27 of the Opticians Act between May 3 and 18, 2007.

It is alleged contact lenses were sold over the internet without the specification being checked and without the supervision of an optometrist or a doctor.

However, Optician understands that the Dutch-based parent company, Vision Direct, plans to argue the GOC has no jurisdiction to bring the case against it as a foreign company.