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The GOC held its first Council meeting of the year yesterday. Agenda items included approving a discussion paper on the GOC’s approach to setting registrant fees for public consultation and discussing the Professional Standards Authority’s (PSA) 2024–25 performance review of the GOC.

The GOC has decided to suspend Kwan Lok Ho, a student optometrist based in Maidstone, from its register for 12 months. 

The GOC has decided to suspend Ruman Dhaliwal, a student optometrist based in Wolverhampton, from its register for four months. 

For the fourth year in a row, the GOC has met all 18 of the PSA’s Standards of Good Regulation.

The General Optical Council is looking to appoint four new members to its Advisory Panel committees. 

The GOC has decided to suspend Abdul Khan, an optometrist based in Birmingham, from its register for 12 months.  

The GOC has decided to erase Suzy Stonehouse, a dispensing optician based in Ashford, from its register. 

The GOC has decided to suspend Francisca Gracia Ruiz, an optometrist based in Manchester, from its register for twelve months. 

The General Optical Council has signed a joint statement on principles relating to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education and training, together with five other health and care regulators.

The GOC has decided to suspend Paul Brinnen, a dispensing optician based in Brighouse, from its register. 

The GOC has decided to erase Samantha Wall, a dispensing optician based in Plymouth, from its register. 

As part of our ongoing thematic review into commercial practices and patient safety, we’re turning our attention to sales targets and incentives in the eye care sector. We want to hear views from across the sector on any positive impacts or negative effects of these targets.

The GOC has appointed Kalwant Grewal as a lay member of its Council. He was appointed by the Privy Council, and his term will begin on 1 February 2026.

The GOC has launched a consultation on proposed reforms to its Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme, with some changes expected to begin from the 2028–30 CPD cycle. 

Congratulations to GOC Council member Lisa Gerson, who has been awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) in His Majesty The King’s 2026 New Year Honours List.

The acceptance criteria document is a case management tool we use to decide if a complaint against a registrant amounts to an allegation of impaired fitness to practise that should be investigated under section 13D of the Opticians Act 1989. This is the law under which the GOC is permitted to investigate a registrant’s fitness to practise

How our EDI work is supporting fairer outcomes, inclusive access to eyecare and effective, trusted regulation.