Record-keeping error highlighted by GOC

Coventry-based Moira Brown was accused at a GOC disciplinary hearing of failing in her duty of care to a patient on February 16, 1998.
Christopher Alder, for the GOC, told the hearing that she had 'failed to establish if the patient's intraocular pressures had been measured, failed to assess the need for further action and failed to keep adequate records'.
'The effect of the failure to check these tests were carried out is to place the patient at risk and falls below the standard expected of a reasonably competent optometrist,' he claimed. He added that Brown delegated the glaucoma test to a clinical assistant.
Geoffrey Roberson, who investigated the allegations for the GOC, said the optometrist found her patient to have moderate long-sightedness with some astigmatism, and in all other respects found his vision normal.
'Mrs Brown failed in her duty of care to the patient because she did not establish that the pressures were normal,' he said. 'You can't rely on the assistant to have made a judgement about normality.'
Brown told the committee that the patient informed her that he was on kidney dialysis. 'I noted this,' she said. 'He didn't complain of any problems with his right eye and said he didn't have any family history of ocular problems. His vision appeared to be good, his optic discs were within normal appearance and there was no pallor that I saw.'
She explained that an optical assistant would have seen the patient first. 'The pressures were measured with every patient over 40 as a matter of routine. I was convinced it had been done. The failure to record them on the record slip was an error on my part and an oversight for which I am sorry.'
She added: 'When I saw him the pressure must have been within normal limits or I would have done additional tests.
'At the time I was not aware of the ocular problems patients on dialysis might have.'
Chairperson Heather Wilcox said the allegations that Brown had failed to establish that pressures had been taken and assess the need for further action were not proven. However, Wilcox said she had failed to keep an accurate record of the examination.
'We cannot over-emphasise the importance of keeping adequate records. It is the particular responsibility of the optometrist to ensure accurate records are maintained,' Wilcox said. 'However, we have concluded that this falls short of serious professional misconduct.'An optometrist accused of failing to check that glaucoma tests had been carried out on a patient who later lost the sight of his right eye has been found not guilty of serious professional misconduct.
Coventry-based Moira Brown was accused at a GOC disciplinary hearing of failing in her duty of care to a patient on February 16, 1998.
Christopher Alder, for the GOC, told the hearing that she had 'failed to establish if the patient's intraocular pressures had been measured, failed to assess the need for further action and failed to keep adequate records'.
'The effect of the failure to check these tests were carried out is to place the patient at risk and falls below the standard expected of a reasonably competent optometrist,' he claimed. He added that Brown delegated the glaucoma test to a clinical assistant.
Geoffrey Roberson, who investigated the allegations for the GOC, said the optometrist found her patient to have moderate long-sightedness with some astigmatism, and in all other respects found his vision normal.
'Mrs Brown failed in her duty of care to the patient because she did not establish that the pressures were normal,' he said. 'You can't rely on the assistant to have made a judgement about normality.'
Brown told the committee that the patient informed her that he was on kidney dialysis. 'I noted this,' she said. 'He didn't complain of any problems with his right eye and said he didn't have any family history of ocular problems. His vision appeared to be good, his optic discs were within normal appearance and there was no pallor that I saw.'
She explained that an optical assistant would have seen the patient first. 'The pressures were measured with every patient over 40 as a matter of routine. I was convinced it had been done. The failure to record them on the record slip was an error on my part and an oversight for which I am sorry.'
She added: 'When I saw him the pressure must have been within normal limits or I would have done additional tests.
'At the time I was not aware of the ocular problems patients on dialysis might have.'
Chairperson Heather Wilcox said the allegations that Brown had failed to establish that pressures had been taken and assess the need for further action were not proven. However, Wilcox said she had failed to keep an accurate record of the examination.
'We cannot over-emphasise the importance of keeping adequate records. It is the particular responsibility of the optometrist to ensure accurate records are maintained,' Wilcox said. 'However, we have concluded that this falls short of serious professional misconduct.'