GOC suspends Orpington based dispensing optician

The General Optical Council (GOC), the UK regulator for optometrists and dispensing opticians, has decided to suspend Olukolajo Kayode, a dispensing optician based in Orpington, from its register for six months.

A GOC Fitness to Practise Committee found his fitness to practise impaired by reason of misconduct relating to his caution for common assault and failure to declare this to the GOC.

In making the decision, the Committee, chaired by Graham White said:

"The Committee had no hesitation in concluding that a violent assault during business hours amounted to misconduct. In relation to the failure to disclose a caution on retention applications, the Committee also concluded that this was a sufficiently serious matter as to amount to misconduct.

"The Registrant’s fitness to practise is impaired on the basis that his insight into the significance of the issues raised by the assault and caution is not yet complete and that the public interest requires a finding of impairment to be made in respect of those matters in any event.

"However, the Committee was satisfied that the Registrant’s insight was developing and further development would mitigate the risk of repeating behaviour. It was determined that a period of suspension of 6 months would be sufficient to mark the gravity of the misconduct and to declare and uphold proper standards of behaviour so as to maintain confidence in the profession and its regulation."

Mr Kayode has until 14 May 2019 to appeal his suspension.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The full determination can be found on our past hearing 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 a dispensing optician was 14 March 2011. His GOC registration number is D-14004. His last registered contact address was in Orpington.

For media enquiries please contact:

GOC Communications Team

General Optical Council

t: 020 7580 3898 (option 3)

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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.