In Focus: PSA responds to anti-GOC petition

The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) has responded to a petition that called for the General Optical Council (GOC) to be investigated for conflicts of interest. As reported in Optician [26.06.20], the petition stated that there had been ‘numerous concerns from members of the optical industry that the GOC is not fit for purpose and has a major conflict of interest.’ Further points raised in the petition included concern at the regulator’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and lack of clarity in its messaging to registrants.

Following a PSA promise to investigate the concerns raised in the petition, the authority has now stated that it ‘has seen no evidence of undue influence by specific individuals or business registrants and did not consider that there were grounds to carry out a special investigation.’