Student dispensing optician Akshay Patel has been suspended for nine months by the General Optical Council's fitness to practise committee.
It was heard that between September 2009 and July 2010 Patel worked as a dispensing optician when he was not registered as a DO with the GOC. Patel admitted to that allegation but denied any dishonesty, saying his professional qualification portfolio (PQP) was signed off by a supervisor and sent by ordinary post to ABDO in August 2009.
The PQP was never received by ABDO, but Patel accepted a position as a DO at Vision Express in Kingston.
Patel told the committee he assumed once the PQP was received by ABDO he would be automatically registered with the GOC as a DO. However, the committee ruled that Patel had failed to post the PQP and said the assumptions he made were not credible.
Vision Express had informed him in July 2010 that he was not appropriately registered.
The GOC said: 'The registrant was a young man at the start of his career when he engaged in this deceit and the committee accepts that the dishonesty in this case was towards the lower end of the scale of dishonesty.
'The committee has seen impressive and relevant testimonial evidence and heard oral testimony to the effect that he is a hard-working team member and valued employee.'
The suspension period was for the same amount of time that Patel had practised as a DO.