An enhanced continuing education and training (CET) scheme is likely to form the major part of revalidation for optometrists and dispensing opticians from 2013.
The General Optical Council told those attending a consultation event in London last week that it was now looking at how CET could be enhanced to provide the evidence base for revalidation, and targeted to the key risks in optics identified by recent independent research (News focus, 26.02.10).
GOC director of standards Jon Levett stressed that nothing had yet been finalised, although employer appraisal was now unlikely to be used as a basis for revalidation. Director of education Linda Kennaugh said that 96 per cent of registrants had met the minimum CET requirement for the last three-year cycle, and fewer than 200 would be removed from the register on April 1 due to CET failure. Eleven registrants had already met their next CET requirement only three months into the 2010-2012 cycle.
But nearly 60 per cent of total CET points awarded were from distance learning and some subject areas or competencies were better covered than others.
'A very large number of registrants are getting points from quite a small range of CET in comparison with what's out there,' said Kennaugh. Many gained points at the last minute rather than taking part throughout the cycle, she added.
Among issues arising from the GOC's recent revalidation events around the country were whether more CET should be face to face and whether CET should be compulsory in some competencies. A scale of points, with more awarded for some modalities of CET such as peer review, was also suggested.
Based on risk assessment, possible areas for compulsory CET were record keeping, communication, decision-making and also non-clinical skills such as legal frameworks, conduct and children's issues.
Contact lens CET might also be compulsory for optometrists who fit contact lenses, as it is for contact lens opticians.
Delegates supported a three-year rather than annual CET cycle and the total number of points, or hours, of CET needed would depend on which competencies and modalities were compulsory. There was also support for discretionary powers for the GOC to deal with cases of exceptional circumstances, such as serious illness or maternity and career breaks. Funding for CET was also raised.
Registrants can have their say on the future of CET by completing the GOC's online surveys at www.optical.org by April 6. The results of the CET consultation will also be posted on the site, where two independent reports into risk profiling and employer appraisals are now published, along with feedback from the revalidation events in February. Further consultation will be held later this year.