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Clearly, as a registrant myself, it is never overly appealing to have such a rise imposed at any time, never mind in the economic climate we all currently find ourselves in, and as a result one starts to question what benefits there are to maintaining GOC registration. Consequently, arguments arise regarding CET funding and regulation, or as many would suggest, lack of, which is inevitable and completely understandable. It is widely recognised that there are unfortunate anomalies that exist for dispensing opticians dating back to deregulation in the 1980s and as a profession we have found it difficult ever since to be formally recognised by the government in a satisfactory way.
In the subsequent period we have seen the imposition of CET, again with unfavourable caveats in many respects, and the prospect of revalidation for all professionals due to commence in 2012. I am quite certain that the vast majority of DOs are perfectly comfortable doing CET, numbers in the last cycle categorically confirm this the real issue surrounds the financial inequality and the requirement for CLOs to achieve additional specialist points. Since the cycle began in 2004, ABDO and its regional areas have instigated publications, activities and events that offered in excess of 150 points in the first cycle and we are currently on course to meet a similar points tally in the current cycle, virtually all of which was provided within the standard ABDO membership fee. Without this essential commitment to our members, many would have spent a substantial amount of money to meet the registration requirements. It is my hope that one day soon the government will act to balance this inequality as the argument that DOs do not conduct services under GOS is and always has been extremely weak. DOs are an integral part of eye care services in the UK, this is not in question. There is no doubt that we are highly skilled professionals who possess skills that are of the utmost value in practice, particularly in a time where our optometrist colleagues are actively moving into secondary eye care services and beyond.
Climate of change
Dispensing optics has changed and will do so even more in the forthcoming years. It concerns me greatly that in light of the changes to optometrist capability and remit, which we fully support, the width of technical dispensing knowledge will diminish significantly. DOs are more than capable of meeting the further demands of primary care and must be allowed to progress, working closely and effectively with optometrists. Unity is paramount, otherwise we will have an extremely fragmented eye care system with an overwhelming emphasis on pathology and examination and not on the provision of corrective eyewear, which is and always will be a necessary part of the process.
In the past few years we have seen the introduction of Optometry Scotland, Ireland and Wales. There is no doubt that as a direct result, DOs have been offered a platform to progress and I look forward to further success as a result of working closely with these organisations. It has shown that our optometrist colleagues want to see us properly recognised once again, which is very encouraging and vital in an era where many optical professionals and bodies are keen to work together. By being collective and bringing a united voice in the public arena, it will prove to be one which is more powerful and effective when lobbying with the government and other relevant parties.
I feel it is essential that we target PCTs in England and health boards in Wales, with the assistance of the LOC Support Unit and LOCs, and once again present to the PCTs comprehensive lists of our members' details, qualifications and areas of expertise. Currently, the majority of PCTs exclude DOs from local initiatives as a result of not knowing who is working within the area and many will consider us secondary to their needs as a result. It is quite clear that we cannot continue to be anonymous, hence the need for this action. This is a new approach we have never undertaken before in England and Wales. However, in the current climate, where our optometrist colleagues move into secondary levels of eye care and specialist services, we feel that our skills are required by more of the population on a more frequent basis. In the past year we have adopted this approach in Scotland with reasonable success and we hope that the same can be achieved in England and Wales.
It is also very encouraging to see the emergence of the joint working groups initiated by FODO and the AOP. At ABDO, we are delighted to be involved and look forward to forthcoming meetings. It makes complete sense that this method of working has came to fruition and we hope to see the benefits in the months and years ahead.
It is our aim at ABDO to continue to promote and enhance the role of DOs and we will never deviate from this. Our association must navigate through these periods of disappointment and uncertainty and emerge stronger than before. Recently, many ABDO members have voiced legitimate concerns about the role of the GOC and some questioning the role of ABDO in this period. Over the past few years ABDO has changed direction somewhat with the appointment of several new staff members. Pleasingly, there is no doubt that we are seeing the benefits of those decisions and many projects are now under way to enhance the position of ABDO and its members.
It has always been my intention to interact with the membership and heighten the levels of communication. The first 'open forum' for our members will be held on March 4 at our head office at 199 Gloucester Terrace, London. It is my hope that members will come along to have a frank and open discussion about the role of ABDO, dispensing optics and the future of the profession. Deciding on the date and venue was never going to be easy, considering the geographical spread of our membership, but I felt it was important to make a start in order to tackle some of the issues that have been raised. I am acutely aware, due to a host of factors, that many ABDO members will unfortunately be unable to attend, but that is unavoidable in many respects however, nobody requires an invitation to offer opinion in fact the ABDO board and I are very happy to discuss things with the membership and we are easily contactable. Additionally, at the recent president's consultation day with representatives from our regional areas, I specifically asked those attending to let me know about their forthcoming area meetings so we can have ABDO board representation at each and every event. In turn, information from the board can be passed on at a local level and by doing this we can ensure a continuation of the open forum debate. Information from these meetings will be published in Dispensing Optics and/or the ABDO email newsletter so everyone can be kept fully informed.
I am very much looking forward to the challenges of the next few months. It is realistic to say that these remain significant, but we at ABDO are totally committed to achieving successful results for our members, so we must ask that everyone continues to show a degree of patience for us to make the projected steps forward in the coming years. We are all determined to achieve our goals and I hope we will once again feel satisfied about our position in the market. Our continued aim remains to have product placement - DOs in practices fully recognised by the profession, government and the public.
Having been the ABDO president for just over four months now, many challenges have presented themselves and more will be lying in wait. It is our task, the ABDO board and staff, to ensure that we tackle these issues head on. Our members deserve more recognition from the DoH and the devolved governments in the UK and we must make every effort to make gains in 2009. With this in mind, great credit must be given for the commitment to comply with the CET requirements imposed on DOs, particularly with the funding issues. Maintaining knowledge and further developing skills must be a high priority for every DO. The issue of funding is certainly something that does not breed jealousy by our members but anger that this further legislative change enhanced blatant anomalies in the system. ?
