ABDO: We'll continue fight for CET equality

ABDO has expressed extreme disappointment that there will be no change to CET arrangements in the next cycle starting January 2010.

As reported in Optician (News, February 1), the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, together with CIBA Vision, had launched a campaign to canvass support from practitioners to lobby the GOC to introduce a requirement for contact lens opticians (CLOs) to gain the same number of points as optometrists from the next CET cycle.

At the time, in a joint statement, CIBA and ABDO pointed out that CLOs, unlike optometrists, received no CET funding. They urged DOs to register their support to bring about change by supporting a petition. However, earlier this month, GOC board members voted in favour of accepting the recommendation to make no changes to the CET scheme post 2010 following a consultation.