Comment: Paper tax

Let's hope that the GOC's estimate of additional costs for marking paper continuing education and training returns from registrants is accurate. If not the GOC and the profession could be left nursing an expensive clean up charge.

Last week's news (November 18) that web refuseniks could scupper a freeze on professional fees was short-lived. Within hours optician's website could announce that the GOC had decided that fees would be frozen, but anyone wishing to make their CET returns on paper would have to pay an extra £50.

Optician predicts that for the princely sum of £50 there are potentially droves of optometrists and dispensing opticians that would gladly forgo the pleasures of the CET Optics website.

Indeed this figure appears positively attractive when stacked up against, for many, the time, hassle and cost of investing in suitable hardware and a broadband connection. Placing a discrete value on the use of paper returns, and opening it up as an option in the completion of CET is tantamount to encouraging registrants to return to traditional methods.

The message this monumental fudge sends out to the profession is more likely to drive current users from CET Optics than incentivise web laggards to get online.

Optician has pressed ahead with major investments in web-based CET to fall in line with the GOC's wishes. The arguments for web-based participation, the audit trail it creates and the tracking, monitoring and updating it allows are strong. There are clearly those, for a wide range of reasons, that don't want to participate online. There are others that have made the effort in good faith and at their own expense. Surely having made its decision it is only fair that GOC stuck to it if not only to be fair to that second group.

One wag raised a laugh at the GOC meeting when he said the paper tax should be £400 not £50. Let's hope there is still laughter at the GOC come December 2006.