Manchester-Based Dispensing Optician Erased from GOC Register

The General Optical Council (GOC), the UK regulator for opticians, has erased Manchester-based dispensing optician Deborah Tripp from its register.

A GOC fitness to practise committee found her fitness to practise impaired by virtue of convictions for theft from her employer and false accounting.

In making its decision the committee, chaired by Sir Alistair Graham, noted that: "The Committee had particular regard to the fact that the offence was one of dishonesty that took place at work and that involved an abuse of trust. The Committee had regard to the fact that the offences were repeated and had taken place over a prolonged period of time.

"The Committee concluded that it was in the public interest, for the protection of the public and in the wider public interest (in maintaining high professional standards and the collective reputation of the profession) for an order of erasure to be made"

Tripp is now unable to practise in the UK as a dispensing optician.

Tripp has 28 days to appeal her erasure, during which time she is suspended from the register under an immediate order.

-Ends-

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The full determination is available athttps://www.optical.org/en/Investigating_complaints/Hearings/past_hearings/index.cfm
2. A full transcript of the hearing is available on request and payment of an administration charge.
3. A briefing on how the FTP process works is available at:https://www.optical.org/en/news_publications/press_kit/media-statements-and-briefings/index.cfm
4. Tripp was first registered with the GOC as a dispensing optician in 2011. Her GOC registration number was D-13970. Her main contact address was in Eccles, Greater Manchester.

For media enquiries please contact:

Simon Grier
Communications Manager
General Optical Council
t: 020 7307 3478
e: sgrier@optical.org

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 26,000 optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians and optical businesses.