GOC sanctions optometrist following unauthorised transactions

The General Optical Council (GOC) has suspended a London-based practitioner for one year after she conducted unauthorised sale and refund transactions on her personal credit and debit cards.

A GOC fitness to practise committee found that the actions of Malti Amin (GOC number 01-15129) were dishonest because she knew that she was not authorised to conduct these transactions.

Aggravating factors that the committee highlighted included that the registrant abused a position of trust as a senior employee and that there had been a financial cost to her employer – although this was not known and appeared to be limited to the transaction costs.

In mitigation, Ms Amin had not had any other regulatory concerns since she entered the register in 1994, no clinical concerns were raised, and she made early admissions to her employers and expressed remorse.

The committee considered that a suspension of one year was appropriate, highlighting that, “it was in the public interest that an otherwise competent and experienced practitioner be allowed to return to practice after a suspension if possible.”