GOC names new lay member

Deborah Bowman MBE will join the General Optical Council (GOC) on 1 September as a lay member, for a period of four years.

Deborah is professor of bioethics and clinical ethics and deputy principal (institutional affairs) at St George’s, University of London. Her academic interests include the application of ethics to policy, clinical practice and healthcare regulation.

She currently serves as a lay member on the GOC Standards Committee, and will stand down on appointment as a council member. Previously, she served as chair for the General Medical Council’s review of its consent guidance, as a non-executive director of St George’s and South West London Mental Health Trust, and as a member of the London Police Ethics Panel for the Mayor’s Office and Metropolitan Police.

Deborah is a broadcaster and regular commentator in the media, particularly for BBC radio; most recently writing and presenting Patient Undone and a fourth series of Test Case for BBC Radio 4. She was the editor-in-chief of the BMJ Journal of Medical Humanities for four years. In 2016, she was awarded an MBE for Services to Medical Ethics.

GOC chair, Gareth Hadley, said: “I am pleased to welcome Deborah to the council. Her high level of expertise in professional standards and ethics will be extremely valuable as we continue our work of ensuring public protection in the optical sector.”

Deborah will replace Selina Ullah, whose term finishes on 31 August 2019.