Profession meets to resolve renewals row

Efforts to put the renewal process of thousands of optometrist members of the General Optical Council back on track were made this week.

Representatives of the GOC met with the optical bodies involved in the renewal process, and the Council was hopeful that the AOP - the body that told its members not to complete their renewal documents - would change its stance.

Earlier this month (News, January 14) the AOP told its members not to fill in declarations on criminal convictions and other matters included as the GOC does not have the legal authority to request these details as yet.

It is expected the Council will gain this authority through a Parliamentary section 60 order on April 1, when the next registration period begins.
Chris Lambert, business manager of the GOC, told optician that although the registration process was continuing, the original form was 'lacking in detail'.

'What we're looking at doing is increasing the level of detail to assist registrants to understand better why it is they're being asked for this information in advance of the power being granted by Parliament.'

He commented that the profession has prided itself on self-regulation since 1958, and expected the section 60 order to be in place by the end of March.

However, he warned: 'Inevitably as soon as the power is granted then it becomes a legal matter, and those who fail to then complete the form would of course fall foul of our fitness to practise procedures as set out by the new order.'

In its pre-meeting letter to the GOC the AOP said it has examined the draft of sections of the section 60 order yet can find nothing in it which would give the GOC the powers to demand the information it asks for in its renewal form.

'The AOP has been inundated with calls from members seeking assistance as to how to complete the forms,' the letter said.

'It is unfortunate that the form appears to indicate that failure to complete the declarations by March 15 will prevent continuation of registration when the GOC admits it will not have powers to demand the information until April at the earliest.'

As optician went to press, the AOP had not responded publicly to the GOC's new, more detailed renewal information for members.