GOC launches enhanced triage process pilot for fitness to practice complaints

A four month pilot of an enhanced triage process has been launched by the GOC.

The process will offer greater discretion to close fitness to practise (FTP) cases at an earlier stage providing there is no risk to the public.

GOC’s director of casework and resolutions Dionne Spence said: ‘I am delighted that we are launching this pilot exercise. Last year, our case examiners closed 84% of the fitness to practise investigations that they considered. It is therefore clear to us that we need to enhance the initial assessment activity we undertake at triage stage.’

Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians insurance and defence lead Alan Tinger said: ‘We very much welcome and fully support this development. Too many individual registrants are currently put through the mill only for it to be concluded, after a long period of anxiety, that there is no case to answer. We also hope this will be an opportunity to review how the GOC communicates with registrants during FTP complaints so that registrants are not unnecessarily alarmed or made to feel anxious or fearful as that is never the purpose of the GOC process.’