Revenue received by the General Optical Council from the large rise in professional retention fees for 2009-2010 over the previous year gave the body almost £1m in additional revenue for the year ending March 31 2010.
According to its published accounts for the financial year 2009-10, the GOC received £4,000,410 from retention fees during 2010 in comparison to £3,052,485 in 2009.
Other figures revealed in the financial accounts showed that the GOC's overall staff employment costs increased to £1,773,739 from £1,584,950 and the number of staff climbed from 30 to 36 people. The cost of the GOC's fitness to practise investigations climbed to £678,650 in 2010 in comparison to £447,826 the previous year.
The accounts also revealed that legal costs, appeals and Department of Health rules were drivers in the increase. However the cost of fitness to practise hearings fell to £305,942 from £358,546.
Overall income was £4,380,210, which included £24,330 from late application fees and £193,026 from registration fees, up from £124,084 in 2009.
Staff salaries rose during the year to £1,428,968 from £1,205,953 the year before, while fees paid to the GOC chair were £35,000, the same as in 2009.
Human resource costs increased to £329,777 from £286,091 due to increases in the cost of training and development, up from £27,705 in 2009 to £110,520 in 2010 and legal fees which rose from £9,970 in 2009 to £76,499 in 2010. Costs for the recruitment of committees amounted to £68,571.
IT also played a part in increasing costs at the GOC, with IT services at £158,129 compared with £38,327 the year before. Online retention cost £50,765.