GOC chairman resigns

General Optical Council (GOC) chairman Dr Geoffrey Harris resigned from his position on the Council with immediate effect on May 31.

Citing substantially increased professional commitments outside the GOC as the reason for his resignation, Dr Harris said: 'With the Council's five-year strategy now in place, I believe those commitments will affect my ability to dedicate the time necessary to do justice to the role of Council chair.'

Having joined the GOC in 2004, initially as a lay council member, Dr Harris began his tenure as chairman on January 1 2009, having previously been deputy chairman. Dr Harris is also chairman of the South Central Strategic Health Authority.