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Congratulations to Council Member Cathy Yelf, who has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in His Majesty the King’s 2025 Birthday Honours List. 

The General Optical Council (GOC), the UK regulator for optometrists and dispensing opticians, has decided to suspend Elizabeth Williams, an optometrist based in Wrexham, from its register for twelve months.  

We are pleased to introduce our Corporate Safeguarding Policy, which outlines how we respond to and manage concerns about the safety and wellbeing of people at risk.

The General Optical Council has appointed Siddhant Majithia, an independent prescribing optometrist, as a Council Associate.

The GOC has decided to suspend Minal Thaker, an optometrist based in Southampton, from its register for four months.

The GOC has decided to erase Sean Hughes, a student optometrist based in Belfast, from its register. 

The GOC has launched its new corporate strategy. It sets out a new vision, safe and effective eyecare for all, and a new mission to protect the public by upholding high standards in eye care services.

The GOC has announced the reappointment to its Council of Frank Munro as registrant member for a further four-year term. Raymond Curran and Cathy Yelf have been appointed as new registrant and lay members respectively.

The GOC has launched its Workforce and Perceptions Survey to learn more about registrants’ work experiences, including views on their job satisfaction, working conditions, and of the GOC overall.

The GOC has decided to suspend Umar Masood, an optometrist based in Sheffield, from its register for four months.  

Updates from the GOC's first meeting of 2025.

The GOC has decided to erase Helen Lampka, an optometrist based in Portland, from its register. 

The GOC has decided to suspend Gurmit Bansal, a dispensing optician based in Barnet, from its register for twelve months. 

The GOC has decided to suspend John Singh, a dispensing optician based in Milton Keynes, from its register for 12 months.

We are seeking seven new members to join our Advisory Panel. The Advisory Panel is made up of several committees – we are recruiting members for our Companies, Education and Registration Committees.

We are looking to appoint eleven members to our Hearings Panel – three lay (non-registrant) members, four dispensing opticians, and seven optometrists.

The GOC has been approved as an external quality assurance provider (EQAP) for the dispensing optics apprenticeship standard by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE).

The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care has published its review of the General Optical Council’s performance in 2023-2024. For the third year, the GOC has met all 18 of the PSA’s Standards of Good Regulation.

The GOC has decided to erase Nirmal Koasha, an optometrist based in Solihull, from its register.

The GOC has announced the reappointment to its Council of Lisa Gerson as registrant member for a further four-year term. Ros Levenson and Poonam Sharma have been appointed as new lay and registrant members respectively.