How would you feel if you had to pay for your own courses? Just a thought.

And Bill is right, what ever became of Eng.Tech, Tech.Eng, the CEI, Sir Monty Finiston's Engineering Council and all that? I carried my Tech.Eng card for many years (it's still hidden in my wallet somewhere), but was never asked to produce it. Wasn't that meant to the be the "Great Leap Forward"? Yes, we'll heard it all before!

If the trust doesn't want to pay to send me then they could of course pay the external contract price to have the equipment serviced. Let's hope then that they don't have any breakdowns and want the equipment in a hurry then, eh? Just a thought.

What was our pay award this year?

It's nice to see that we will be having to pay out to do our jobs, when fuel prices have gone up to record levels, food prices have gone up this year by 12%, last week they announced a 15% rise in gas price's and this morning they announce inflation busting increases for council tax. With the cost of living going up by more than the amount we are being awarded, what are some of us "low" paid staff to do.

Although it is a good idea in theory, it is yet another cost that the lower paid people will be expected to meet. I am currently registered with the IET and EC:UK, and have been for a while. Would this not suffice? A universally accepted and recognized professional registration.

Just a thought....

I heard that fuel prices had risen by 20% since the mileage allowance had last been raised.

I believe we have been granted a 10% (interim) rise in fuel allowance for regular users who drive cars with an engine capacity lower than 1.5 litres.

There was no mention of an increase in the standard allowances, or the lump sums paid to regular users!

This interim arrangement is supposed to come into effect from 01/01/08.

A couple of points

1) The fact that to remain registered you have to do CPD changes nothing. In fact it makes it easier for management to make you pay for part of the courses, since it is down to YOU to complete your CPD or face being out of work. Just look at all the professions that are already registered. If more staff need training then the limited training budget will be spread thinner.Not to mention the dubious worth of a lot of CPD registered talks and training

2) Fuel allowances haven't to my knowledge (though my memory is slipping a bit and I threw my copy of the 1987 Whitley agreement out yesterday so I can't check ) , changed since I started in the NHS 25 years ago, which gives a much greater than 20% rise in prices. more like 500%

On the other hand I do believe that all medical technicians/engineers should be registered somehow and preferably by the same board so there is a consistency of approach.