The introduction of compulsory CET has been hampered by continual lobbying for changes to the scheme's guidelines by the optical bodies, says the programme's manager.
The introduction of compulsory CET has been hampered by continual lobbying for changes to the scheme's guidelines by the optical bodies, says the programme's manager.
In an exclusive interview with optician, Vantage director Tim Ray talked candidly about the origins of the scheme and its acceptance among the profession. Ray said the introduction of mandatory CET into optics had followed a similar route to what might be expected in any sector, but the activity of some of the professional bodies had not helped. |
| Ray: lobbying over rule changes hasn't helped anyone |
'The lobbying that has gone on around changing and meddling with the rules hasn't helped anybody, that's my personal view,' said Ray. 'If it had all been left as it was, people would have moaned a little, but in a couple of weeks they would have been over it.'
He added that changes to the scheme had confused and hindered its acceptance within the profession.
'The frustration for the people at the GOC and myself is the lobbying that goes on and the continual attempts to try to change them [the guidelines] when actually they are fixed.'
He said the professional bodies were involved in setting up the guidelines, were aware at what point in the future they would be reviewed and should wait until then.
Ray said that the confusion among the profession about what was going on with CET wasn't the fault of the people who had been employed to implement the scheme.
'It's primarily the fault of the [GOC] Council and the people who lobby the Council to get things changed - ABDO and the AOP and all those people.'
In a wide-ranging interview, Ray said he expected the 'bar to be raised' on CET and for new methods to be developed for the implementation of education during the next three-year cycle.
He said that despite compulsory CET in optometry being in its infancy, early levels of CET participation were adequate, and in line with numbers required. Between 400 and 500 GOC registrants are logging on to the CET Optics website each week and about half of the 15,000 people on the GOC Register had now activated their CET account.
Over the coming months, statements of CET points achieved and activated on the www.cetoptics.com website will be sent to everyone on the GOC register.
An in-depth interview with Tim Ray will appear in a June issue of Optician.