Recruitment troubles raised at GOC hearing

Problems with recruiting permanent optometrists on the Isle of Man may have led to the GOC disciplinary hearing involving Boots Opticians. The multiple faces allegations of providing inappropriate supervision for a trainee dispensing optician.

As reported in Optician, (News, February 27), Boots Opticians, a registered student DO (who has since qualified) and a Boots-employed DO face an inquiry based on allegations that student DO Trevor Burgess dispensed spectacles to a patient aged 14 without proper supervision.

Burgess's named supervisor, Richard James Simmons, a registered DO, also faces allegations that he failed to provide appropriate supervision.

On Monday, the hearing was told that Boots Opticians had difficulties in recruiting a permanent optometrist to its Isle of Man branch and that as a result a locum was left in charge for a period of months.