Optician Solicitors

GOC case examiner panels are typically a registered optometrist or dispensing optician and one lay (non-registrant) member who review concerns about registrants' fitness to practice within the General Optical Council (GOC). They assess all the gathered evidence, including submissions from the registrant, to determine if there's a real prospect of the allegations being proven and if the registrant's fitness to practice is impaired and thus whether allegations against registrants should be referred to a Fitness to Practise Committee for a hearing, or if other actions, like advice or warnings, are more appropriate.
Once a GOC investigation has reached the stage where it is reviewed by the GOC’s Case Examiners, the GOC will formally notify the registrant and invite their written response to the allegations. A registrant is usually given 4 weeks to respond to the allegations.
When facing a GOC investigation, registrants should obtain independent legal advice before submitting their own representations to the GOC. In our experience, representations prepared by registrants, rather than a lawyer, may adversely impact on the outcome of an investigation.
Our professional discipline lawyers here at Richard Nelson LLP are experienced at dealing with GOC investigations and so can advise you, take your instructions and then prepare the representations on your behalf.

GOC Fitness to Practise Committee

The General Optical Council (GOC) Fitness to Practise Committee handles cases where a registrant’s fitness to practice is in question. The committee aims to protect the public by investigating concerns and potentially imposing sanctions if a registrant's fitness to practice is deemed impaired.
The committee is made up of a panel of individuals, including registered optometrists, dispensing opticians, and lay members. The committee conducts hearings where evidence is presented and considered to determine if a registrant's fitness to practice is impaired.
Solicitors at Richard Nelson LLP can advise and assist you with preparing your case for the Committee and have a wealth of experience in doing this. We can also arrange an experienced barrister to represent you during your hearing and with whom we will work closely with in the run up to your hearing to ensure your case is fully prepared.
If a registrant's fitness to practice is found to be impaired, the committee can impose various sanctions, including warnings, financial penalties, conditional registration, suspension, or erasure from the register.

GOC Restoration Applications

If you have been previously registered with the GOC and for any reason have allowed your registration to lapse, or you have been removed from the register, you must be restored to the register to continue to practise.
You will need to complete an application form to do this, however, before you do this, we would always advise that you seek legal advice to ensure you have done all that is required to enable your application to be successful. If you have been removed from the register, then we would look to read through this decision and advise you on how you can ensure that you are fully prepared before you make this application.
We can then assist you if you wish to be represented at a restoration hearing with both your preparation and representation.