CET points concern

A review will be made of the CET points process after last week's news that some practitioners would be limited to carrying over just six points achieved in the first half of this year (News, April 15).

Speaking to optician GOC registrar Peter Coe said there was the possibility to change the threshold. However, it was inevitable that whatever decision the Council made some would be disadvantaged.

Presented with a letter from the optical bodies - which said that the matter was causing 'very deep concerns' and leaving practitioners feeling 'cheated' - Coe confirmed that it would be impossible to accept the bodies' preferred choice: to effectively backdate the statutory scheme to January 1.

However, he signalled it could be possible to raise the threshold to allow practitioners at June 30 to be able to carry forward 24 points (12 speciality points) to the statutory scheme.

'We are stuck between a rock and a hard place,' said Coe.

The ABDO/AOP/College/FODO letter warned that CET events planned for May and June could be faced with very substantial losses if practitioners decide to pull out.