The sooner DOs get parity with optometrists over funding and the recognition they deserve, the sooner they too can awake from their funding nightmare.

Not only has the GOC found a neat solution to the tricky issue of continuing education and training funding at the point of use, but the Optometric Fees Review Committee has also struck a major victory on optometric funding with the Government.
The situation over CET funding looked to have reached nightmare proportions. As the deadline for its introduction loomed, so did charges for providers, deliverers and organisers of hitherto free-at-the-point-of-use learning.
The GOC's agreement to put a levy of £2 a point on the registration fee is a neat and sensible solution.
Meanwhile the anger over government funding for mandatory continued learning was growing among optometrists and dispensing opticians. How could the profession stand by and see dentists and other professionals paid for their time spent improving their skills when precious little was forthcoming for optics?
The OFRC has at a stroke won a landmark victory in £3.5m for optometrists' CET and settled the sight test fee for three years. Of course there is always more work to be done and there are losers. The clear losers in this case are the dispensing opticians, the nightmare for them goes on.
I am sure they have the support of optometrists who recognise the skills they have and appreciate the hurdles they have to clear in completing their own CET.
Tony Garrett, boss of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, has yet to receive a reply to his letter from the Health Secretary (see News, March 5). optician hopes he will not have to wait too long. The sooner DOs get parity with optometrists over funding and the recognition they deserve, the sooner they too can awake from their funding nightmare.For a full listing of RBI titles http://www.reedbusiness.comBack to realityOpticianEditorial tel: 020 8652 8243 Editorial Fax: 020 8652 8993
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