GOC registration fee to increase by £10 – plus other GOC Council news

News from the GOC Council, 11 November 2015

Council approves £10 increase in GOC fees

Council has agreed a £10 increase in the GOC registration fee, making the fee for optometrists, dispensing opticians and bodies corporate £320.

Student registration fees have been frozen at £25 and the £100 discount for practitioners on low incomes remains in place.

Gareth Hadley, GOC Chair, said, “The 3.2% increase will ensure we have sufficient resources to carry out our regulatory functions, while limiting the strain that fees place on registrants.

“Inflation is naturally part of the reason for the increase, but it is also born out of a commitment to longer-term planning to ensure ongoing financial stability.

“The £10 increase builds in a contingency for eventualities such as a further increase in complaint numbers or particularly complex cases. It will also allow us to continue the implementation of our new Standards of Practice and consult thoroughly on new business standards. We must also bear the costs of more visits to education institutions and a levy to the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) of around £3.50 per registrant.”