GOC seeks to appoint Clinical Advisers
Location: Remote (with occasional in-person hearings if required)
Fee: £450 per day
Contract Type: Initial three-year contract, with potential for renewal
Time Commitment: Variable – based on availability
Application Deadline: Tuesday 7 October 2025 (12:00 noon)
Interview Dates: Remote interviews on Friday 7 and Tuesday 11 November 2025
The General Optical Council (GOC) is the UK regulator for the optical professions, including optometrists, dispensing opticians, student registrants, and optical businesses. Our role is to protect the public by promoting high standards of education, conduct, and performance among optical professionals.
As part of our commitment to upholding the integrity and health standards of the optical professions, we are looking to appoint several Clinical Advisers to provide independent medical expertise to support our Fitness to Practise and Registration Appeal Committees.
This is a unique opportunity to play a vital role in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of patients and the public, while supporting fair and robust regulatory decisions.
The Role
As a Clinical Adviser, you will provide expert medical advice and guidance on complex health-related issues that arise during fitness to practise and registration appeal proceedings. Your clinical insight will help inform decisions made by panel members, ensuring they are based on sound medical understanding and are fair, proportionate, and in line with public interest.
Clinical Advisers are not decision-makers, but their input is highly valued in interpreting medical evidence, understanding clinical diagnoses and prognoses, and advising on health conditions that may impact a registrant’s fitness to practise.
Who We are Looking For
We welcome applications from GMC-registered medical practitioners with relevant clinical expertise and a strong sense of professional integrity. You must not be a current registrant or member of the General Optical Council.
We are particularly interested in candidates with specialist knowledge or experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Occupational Medicine
- Schizophrenia and Related Disorders
- Bipolar Disorder and Depression
- Substance (Drug/Alcohol) Dependence and Misuse
- Ophthalmology
- Multiple Sclerosis
How to Apply
Please send your completed application form, accompanied by a CV (no more than 3 A4 sides) and a completed EDI monitoring form, to [email protected] by Tuesday 7 October 2025 at 12:00pm (noon).
The full information pack, application form, and EDI monitoring form are available for download below:
For further information please contact:
Vineeta Desai
Head of Hearing Operations
[email protected]
020 7871 0411
Our Commitment to Inclusion
Equality, diversity and inclusion is central to how we regulate, how we engage with stakeholders and all those who use our services, and our actions as a responsible employer. We welcome applications from everyone, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity.
Should you be interested in supporting optical regulation at this time, we look forward to hearing from you.
