This was one of the messages delivered by GOC chairman Rosie Varley at last week's meeting of the professional bodies and a GOC group charged with the task of bringing in sweeping legislative change to the profession (see other stories on this page). She acknowledged that representatives from the professional bodies would prefer a scenario in which voluntary schemes continued. However, Ms Varley reiterated the GOC's aim to introduce compulsory CET, in line with government health aims on professional revalidation. 'An agreement at last week's meeting was reached whereby the GOC fully supported the voluntary schemes currently being introduced and encouraged their further extension,' she said. 'But the ideal situation would be that compulsion be introduced at a time when it merely finalised current practice in the profession.' She said no introduction date was discussed at the meeting for compulsion. Ms Varley said the meeting between four professional bodies and the GOC's statutory regulation working group went very well. Many of the 21 briefs for legislative change the group, which she chairs, had proposed were received well by representatives of the Association of Optometrists, the Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians, the College of Optometrists and the Association of British Dispensing Opticians. Last week's meeting will be discussed in the autumn round of GOC committee meetings. And after further consultation with the optical bodies, a full GOC meeting in November will agree on what can go before Parliament. The GOC hopes that the changes will be processed speedily to become law alongside legislation affecting other health professions (News, June 25).