Optometrist suspended after failing to detect pituitary tumour

A General Optical Council fitness to practise committee has suspended optometrist Matthew Ian Clarke for 18 months after it heard that over a five year period, he failed to detect or interpret pathology of a patient who was later diagnosed with a pituitary tumour and bitemporal hemianopia.

The Council became aware of concerns relating to the professional conduct of the registrant after a story was published in the Coventry Telegraph on October 2013. The article highlighted the case of the patient and reported that he had seen the registrant four times between May 28 2004 and March 27 2009. The patient was left with significant visual impairment and is registered partially sighted.