Power of the press

The latest round of the continuing education and training debate, or should I say battle, is an object lesson on the power of the press and public relations. The College of Optometrists has managed to move from a position of some strength on the issue of CET to a point where it has made itself look ridiculous by any standards in appearing to face in two directions at once. The damage done by a letter of less than 100 words from one Barry Burdett (optician, January 15) will take some time to repair. Matters were not helped by a news item in the following issue in which a gang of three anti-CET optometrists vented their spleen on the College with some fairly anecdotal and in some cases incorrect comments.