The College of Optometrists

The College of Optometrists has written to the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Milburn MP, to express disappointment that the money allocated for the profession's continuing professional development scheme (DOCET) has not been increased. A meeting to discuss the matter has been requested.

The money allocated to England this year remains unchanged from last year at £412,000, which works out to be £58.42 per optometrist, effectively a reduction.

In his letter to the Secretary of State for Health, College Secretary Peter Leigh stated "The funds allocated to DOCET supports continuing professional development for approximately 7,052 optometrists in England. We therefore feel that it is important that additional resources be made available if our profession is able to assist the Government in achieving its objective of maintaining high professional standards through continuous learning."

Charles Greenwood, DOCET Head of Training, commented: "Early results from the DOCET five-year evaluation study, aimed at both practitioners and patients, in order to find the effect of CET on practitioner performance, have indicated that improvements in patient perceptions of eye care result from practitioners undertaking CET. Therefore, it is vital that we have adequate funds to provide this."