OO subject to conditions

Optometrist Mukul Patel will be subject to conditions for 18 months following an interim order by the General Optical Council (GOC).

A GOC fitness to practise committee heard that in recent years Patel had allowed his professional standards to slip, possibly due to increased pressure that was being placed upon him at his workplace. He did not cope well with the requirement to carry out higher numbers of examinations, the committee found, and his record keeping was described poor. It was noted that Patel, who did not contest the order, was an optometrist of 'considerable experience' of 25 years with no previous fitness to practise history.