An AOP explainer on... the consequences of fabricating records

Falsifying a record typically involves creating a record of an examination that didn’t take place, or adding elements to an examination, so that the final record does not accurately reflect the tests which were carried out. Falsified records could relate to an existing or fictitious patient.

A common theme is when pre-registration optometrists panic and falsify records to fill gaps in their required competencies ahead of an assessment. Employers expect trainees to make good progress on the Scheme for Registration and the temptation is to create a record that shows they have done something they haven’t really done.

Allegations of dishonesty are considered a very serious matter by regulatory bodies and commonly result in a suspension, either on an interim basis or substantive at the end of an investigation. In cases where there is repeated or more significant dishonesty, it can result in being erased from the register. Dishonesty can also have a serious impact on the Scheme for Registration and, ultimately, qualification as a registered practitioner.

It could take five minutes to fabricate an appointment with a patient to meet a particular requirement, but the individual may be under investigation for 18 months to two years. During that time, their ability to practise could be restricted, they may lose their job or their supervisor, and there may be a consequential impact on the Scheme for Registration. What might have seemed like a very simple thing to do has serious implications for their whole career, and everything they have worked for up to that point.

In many cases, there is a breakdown of trust between the employer and the pre-reg, and between the supervisor and the pre-registration optometrist. The supervisor is ultimately responsible for the patients the pre-reg examines, so if they don’t feel confident that the records are accurate, they may decide to withdraw their supervision.

Individuals involved in these concerns tend to have a set of background circumstances which they feel have influenced their decision to falsify records. It can be something like feeling under extreme pressure where they work, such as to carry out a certain number of examinations in a day, or make good progress on the Scheme for Registration.

Sometimes it can be more personal and circumstances outside of work have affected their progress. If a pre-registration optometrist has something going on in their personal life that is affecting their work, or that might affect their work in future, we would advise acting sooner rather than later.

Our advice would be to talk to someone as soon as possible. The earlier you talk to someone, the greater the scope for something to be done. If you leave it until the last minute, even if you talk to your supervisor or someone else, there is very little they will be able to do.

We appreciate it is not always that simple and there can be pressures or feelings associated with speaking to your supervisor about an issue. But for something like this, where the alternative is considering falsifying a record, it is important to confront those feelings and speak to your supervisor. Your College of Optometrists assessor may also be able to help you raise issues with the employer and supervisor.

If pre-registration trainees are not getting anywhere with their supervisor or employer, or they have raised an issue and had no response, they can contact the AOP for assistance. The AOP’s employment team can help to raise the issue more formally with the employer if necessary. The important thing is not to bury your head in the sand and think it is going to go away. Contact us and we can talk things through.

Supervisors should also check in with pre-registration trainees at regular intervals to ensure they are making good progress and offer support where necessary.

The overarching message is to be proactive – do not be afraid to speak to people about issues that are happening or that might be on the horizon. Speak to the AOP at any point – the regulation and employment teams will be able to help.

Find more advice for pre-regs from the AOP’s regulatory experts online.

Coming up at the AOP

1 Practice team day, 21 September

OT, in partnership with the AOP, will host its first day of webinar education dedicated to the whole practice team including non-clinical staff. Find more on the AOP website.

2 AOP Welcome Week lectures, Autumn

Representatives from across the AOP will be visiting universities around the country throughout Welcome Week to introduce the benefits of membership to student optometrists.

3 Hospital and Specialty Optometrists Conference 8–9 November

The AOP, with headline sponsor Bausch + Lomb, will present the conference for hospital and specialty optometrists in London this November. Book online.

Rewind

A review of AOP activity in the past two months

AOP

AOP launches glaucoma campaign

The AOP launched its new campaign, You Won’t See It Coming, which calls for the Government to commit to a national glaucoma pathway using High Street optometrists. The campaign was unveiled to coincide with Glaucoma Awareness Week (30 June–6 July).

Pixabay/Adam Derewecki

10-Year Health Plan

The AOP responded to the launch of the Government’s plan to reform the NHS in England, welcoming the commitment to shifting care from hospitals to High Street optometry.

Getty/Benedek

HOC sees new members

The AOP’s Hospital Optometrists Committee has appointed three members: Elizabeth Hunt, from Aneurin Bevan University Health Board joined the committee, while Deirdre Burns from Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, and Alison Weston, from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, were re-appointed.