Verification of Ophthalmic Performers List declarations

The following information is provided to help the appropriate NHS bodies carry out their verification checks of Ophthalmic Performers list declarations. These guidance notes are not regulations.

What we need – registrants’ consent

Some of the information that you need is not available from our publicly-searchable registers. We may therefore need to see a copy of the registrant's consent before we disclose the information to you. We can accept a scanned copy of a registrant’s signed consent sent by email.

Although we do not prescribe the wording of the consent you obtain from the registrant, we can process applications more quickly if it contains words to the following effect:

"I consent to a request being made by [your organisation] to the General Optical Council for information relating to either: any current investigation into my fitness to practise and/or any current interim order that has been imposed by the Fitness to Practise Committee; or any past investigation into my fitness to practise that resulted in an allegation against me being referred to the Fitness to Practise Committee or in the issue of a warning by the Investigation Committee AND to the disclosure of such information to [your organisation] by the GOC."

Note that this consent refers only to matters that are or have been under investigation by us. It would not cover information held by us about third-party (e.g. police, HSE) investigations if such matters are/were not part of a GOC investigation.

How to request GOC verification of a declaration

Complete the application form. There is a separate one for individual registrants and bodies corporate.

However, as long as the registrant can be clearly identified and a signed consent form is included, it is not necessary for health authorities to complete the registrant check application form. Email requests should be submitted, along with a scanned copy of the registrant’s consent, to registration@optical.org. 

You may also request GOC verification of a declaration by post. Please ensure that your request for verification includes the following:

• The registrant's full name
• GOC registration number
• Date of birth
• As above, a signed and dated consent form.

Timeframe for processing requests

We will aim to respond within five working days of receipt of each request. Although we understand that primary care organisations are required to verify declarations in all cases, we are not able to process bulk requests for verification. Please take account of this in your management of requests for inclusion on performers lists.