GOC appoints IP optometrist as its first head of optometric advice

The General Optical Council (GOC) has appointed independent prescribing optometrist, Janice McCrudden, as its first head of optometric advice.

The part-time role will work across the GOC’s core functions, including education and continuing professional development (CPD), professional standards, fitness to practise, and policy development.

The head of optometric advice role has been designed to ensure that the regulator’s work is “informed by highquality, independent clinical insight and professional expertise,” the GOC said.

The regular noted that the role is not involved in making decisions on regulatory or fitness to practise cases, but instead will focus solely on processes and policy.

McCrudden has a background in the hospital eye service, primary eye care, and medical education. She is a Fellow of the College of Optometrists, and has worked at Belfast Heath and Social Care Trust, where she is currently a specialist optometrist, for more than three decades.

McCrudden has also served as clinical adviser to the Department of Health’s Strategic Planning and Performance Group in Northern Ireland for more than 25 years, and works as an expert witness.

Her professional interests include medical retina, dry eye, paediatrics, record keeping, and practice governance.

She will begin the role this month (July), and has stepped down from her previous roles as CPD record reviewer and education visitor panellist at the GOC in order to do so.

McCrudden said: “I’m delighted to take on this new role. I hope to bring insight from my experience across the profession to support the GOC’s work and ensure the optical professions can deliver safe, effective patient care in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment.”

Steve Brooker, head of regulatory strategy at the GOC, explained: “The head of optometric advice will strengthen the quality and independence of the clinical and professional input underpinning our decisionmaking across the GOC.”

He added: “We are delighted to welcome Janice to the GOC. Her extensive experience and deep understanding of clinical practice will ensure our policy development and regulatory decision-making will be informed by robust, independent expert advice.”