OO given conditional registration

An optometrist has been placed on conditional registration for 12 months by a General Optical Council fitness to practise committee after it alleged he failed to conduct a proper and adequate eye examination of a patient which led to an eye tumour going undiagnosed.

It was also alleged that Ricky Patel made inadequate records and an inadequate referral letter which he did not ensure was followed up.

The committee said the allegations were very serious, involving a condition that was sight and life threatening going undetected. 'In light of the patient's age, past history and unexplained reduction in vision, the alleged failure to dilate was a serious one,' it said.