Decline in CET attendance causes concern

Association of Optometrists' chief executive Bob Hughes has added his voice to the growing concern over attendance at continuing education and training events.

While ABDO had maintained numbers at its event, the picture generally wasn't quite so rosy, he said.

Speaking to Optician in Harrogate, Hughes agreed that attendance at CET events was becoming an issue as delegate numbers had dwindled since the imposition of the 36-point total for CET. He said there had been no fall-off in the demand for journal CET, but a rethink was needed on the delivery of CET to help bolster attendances at meetings.

While the current three-year cycle of CET was fixed, he was keen to see non-journal mechanisms re-emphasised during the next three-year cycle. He said he had used his position on the relevant committees to bring pressure to bear on the GOC to make that happen.