Staff to decide on CET payment

Boots Opticians has given its optometrists three options regarding collecting their £270 Department of Health grant towards CET. The company is surveying its practitioners to see how they want their CET payment to be made.

The payment, available across the profession from this month, was detailed in optician July 15. The agreement reached on payments for optometrists' participation in CET is £270 for 2004 and £425 for 2005.

A few days ago DoH head of ophthalmic services Derek Busby wrote to optometrists, OMPs and PCT managers to notify them of the arrangements  'for payments for loss of earnings in respect of continuing education and training'.