News

Student OO suspended

Fitness to practice

Student optometrist Nadia Sham has been suspended by the General Optical Council's fitness to practise committee for 12 months.

The committee heard she failed to carry out intraocular pressure tests and visual fields, falsified patient records and failed to refer a patient after she discovered raised ocular pressures.

Sham was said to have demonstrated evidence of clinical remediation and to have developed new skills during her employment, but the GOC said the fundamental issue was her dishonesty. Sham gave extensive evidence during the hearing and the committee accepted she had displayed insight into her failings and the standards required of her.

Nonetheless, the committee said it considered erasure from its registers after deciding there were no suitable conditions she could be registered under, but rejected the option as it felt the registrant should be given a final chance to undertake training. It added that it would be anxious to see Sham maintain professional learning and understand the professional probity of an optometrist.