AN OPTICIAN accused of rushing through eye tests at a Melksham nursing home has been cleared of serious professional misconduct.

Philip Leeb du Toit told a disciplinary committee in London he didn't carry out a full range of tests on 69 patients at three nursing homes, including Mavern House in Melksham, because the patients were "frail and confused".

Mr Leeb du Toit, of Abergavenny, Wales, was accused of carrying out eye tests in an "awful rush" spending an average of eight minutes on each patient at Mavern House in Shaw and Wemyss Lodge in Swindon on October 10, 2000.

The optician was also alleged to have rushed tests at The Firs nursing home in Sedgeley, West Midlands, on June 28, 2000.

The General Medical Council cleared Mr Leeb du Toit on Tuesday after a two-day hearing.

The domiciliary optometrist, who denied all the charges, said he saw 36 patients in two Wiltshire nursing homes.

He told the committee he worked longer hours at the homes and had an assistant to help out.

He told the committee: "When we had a large day planned we would always start early.

"We started at Wemyss Lodge at about 9.30am, finishing about 2.30pm, we again had a lunch break of about 20 minutes. We arrived at Mavern House at about 3.10pm and finished fairly late.

"Residents were having dinner around us. It was about 6.30pm or 6.45pm. I believe I did carry out an adequate eye examination."

On Monday Bradley Albuery told the council it would have been "impossible" for Mr Leeb du Toit to carry out adequate tests in such a limited time span.

He said nursing homes would only allow an optician to visit between 10am and 5pm with a break for lunch.

Expert witness Geoffrey Roberson told the committee an adequate eye examination needed a patient interview, an assessment of their current spectacle prescription followed by an eye test.

He estimated a period of 20 minutes for every patient would be needed.

Mr Roberson said he was concerned about the lack of follow-ups involving patients with cataracts and possible glaucoma.

All the charges against Mr Leeb du Toit were dismissed on Tuesday.