GOC erases Suffolk based optometrist

The General Optical Council (GOC), the UK regulator for optometrists and dispensing opticians, has decided to erase Jignesh Patel, an optometrist based in Suffolk, from its register. He will now be unable to practise as an optometrist in the UK.

A GOC Fitness to Practise Committee found his fitness to practise impaired by reason of his conviction of the offence of causing death by dangerous driving.

In making the decision, the Committee, chaired by Julia Wortley said:

"The Committee accepted that the Registrant stated his intention was never to speed in a motor vehicle again. The Committee also accepted that many people who know the Registrant are prepared to work with him again and that those people appear to understand and forgive his actions. However, the Committee was of the view that the wider public would be very concerned that a professional optometrist had been convicted of such a serious offence, is still serving a sentence and is proposing to return to unrestricted practice.

“The Committee considered that, although a single incident, this was a very serious incident resulting in the death of a young man, for which the Registrant was responsible.

"In the Committee’s view it was necessary and proportionate for the Registrant to be removed from the register to promote and maintain public confidence in the profession and to promote and maintain proper professional standards of conduct for members of the profession."

Mr Patel has until 24 October 2019 to appeal his erasure, during which time he is suspended from the register under an immediate suspension order.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The full determination is available on our past hearings page.
2. A full transcript of the hearing is available on request and payment of an administration charge.
3. Read our guide on how the FTP process works.
4. The registrant’s date of most recent registration with the GOC as an optometrist was 31 March 2019. His GOC registration number is 01-27035. His last registered contact address was in Suffolk, England.

For media enquiries please contact:

GOC Communications Team

General Optical Council

t: 020 7580 3898 (option 3)

e: communications@optical.org

About the General Optical Council

The GOC is the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. Its purpose is to protect the public by promoting high standards of education, performance and conduct amongst opticians. The Council currently registers around 30,000 optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians and optical businesses.