A few years ago at a meeting at the AOP offices a number of us were discussing the various ways that the current CET scheme might be improved upon. There was a background understanding that the GOC thought the current system (two approvers assessing each CET proposed and each getting several quid for their services) cumbersome or expensive. Many of us thought the current scheme may have its detractors but, cost aside, it was a useful filter for some of the more outlandish, commercialised, or leftfield and non-core competency proposals that regularly reach Vantage at the moment. One proposal to which many of us had STRONG antipathy was to introduce the concept of 'accredited CET providers'. Under this proposal a provider, such as Optician Journal, would pay a fee and be registered as a provider. Anything that they then produced would automatically be coded via the administrator (Replay Learning after 2012) and presumabkkly there would be some sanction if any material was produced which was felt to be below the expected standard. This wopuld significantly cut costs and admin time and was particularly popular among some of the more shall we say 'corporate practice' providers.
Our significant worry was that this would open up the doors for CET accreditation of non-evidence based material. Behavioural optometry is a classic example where there would undoubtedly be accreditation which would not get through under previous schemes. Commercial organisations would be able to get accreditation of events where products were being promoted and companies could get accreditation of local business and staff meetings under the pretext of the most tenuous of reasons. Many said at the time that such a 'dumbing down' was highly unlikely.
Roll forward to this week. We have been asked to attend a meeting at the GOC onm the 13th June to discuss the proposals next year regarding text based distance learning - what any cap might be and what providers ensuring adequate quality need to bear in mind when producing material.
The objectives of the workshop are to:
brief CET Providers on the GOC’s requirements for CET submitted to the Scheme for delivery from January 2013.
share the GOC’s goals and ambitions for text based distance learning
discuss the practical implementation of these ambitions
introduce the option to become an Accredited CET Provider.
So it seems that a decision may havge been made without due feedback or consultation on this matter. I don't know about you, but I have serious concerns over the potential for CET dumb down.