Dear EBME

I am happy to announce that today the Voluntary Register of Clinical Technologists has launched its own dedicated website. It can be found at: The VRCT Website

The site includes a searchable on-line register which provides brief details of all current VRCT registrants. It also includes a printable application form, application guidelines, scope of practice information, the VRCT code of conduct and the VRCT Clinical Technology degree prospectus. There is also an FAQ section, current regulation information, plus details of the VRCT assessors and links to all of the constituent professional bodies.

We would be grateful for any comments or suggestions that you may have.

Best Wishes

Jim Methven
VRCT Registrar

Dear Jim,

Interesting comment on website homepage - "Until this time the VRCT will be the sole regulator of the profession."

How can you regulate a profession when the register is voluntary? Surely you are only regulating those in the profession who have joined?

Welcome your comments.

I know this is a bit sad, but I wonder how registration numbers are allocated when someone who registers 2 or 3 years later than someone else can have a lower number.

I've been waiting for Ed Bennett to say a lower number could be arranged at a price.

"Only joking!"

Lee

Whether the VRCT is voluntary or not, no other organisation has indicated that it wishes to take forward the case for regulating the Clinical Technologist profession. Furthermore, until the HPC takes over, we have been charged to do so by the Department of Health (see Regulation Update on VRCT Website). Thus we are effectively the sole regulator.

Additionally, we are not only regulating those who have joined the VRCT but we are also leading the profession (in conjunction with the professional bodies) through the setting of standards of education, training, competency, conduct and practice.

Jim

This is quite simple, until 2006 we did not give registrants a number. We made a decision to do so, and used the register as it stood, in alphabetical order, to number each registrant! Thus Mrs Abc became Number 1 and Mr Zxy became No 2999. Even if Mr Zxy had been the first registrant to join the VRCT he didn't become Number 1. (He wasn't - I was and I am nowhere near Number 1!)

Numbers are now allocated chronologically!

Jim

It's a nice, professional looking site, Jim. And not before time.


This could be because, in the opinion of many (myself included), there is no such thing as a "Clinical Technologist profession". Does your site define "Clinical Technologist"? Yes, here it is ...


"Healthcare Scientist"? That doesn't sound much like me (or the likes of me), then.

On the other hand, I would have thought that most of us are actually "Engineering Technicians". Back in the days when I was interested in this sort of thing myself, we used to be "regulated" by the CEI (no doubt someone can probably tell me what that's called these days ... the Engineering Council, perhaps?).

Meanwhile, others have indicated ways of taking the "profession" forward. In fact, I did so myself only recently when I suggested we adopt (ie, in the UK) BMET Certification on the US model.

I applaud your efforts, and wish you well with the new website especially, but still maintain that you're barking up the wrong tree. Bottom line for me is ... if it's voluntary, then it's no good! Primum non nocere.

Healthcare Scientists are defined as "A wide range of specialist disciplines that serve to underpin diagnostic ,testing, interpretative and direct treatment services for patients".
They broadly fall into 6 distinct groups, ie Biomedical Scientist, Clinical Scientist, Clinical Physiologist, Clinical Technologist, "Other Healthcare Scientists" and Clinical/Scientific Assistants. So being clinical technologists we seem to fit nicely into this group. So the question I now have is, can I now call myself a Scientist or should I stick to my title of technician that Ive had over the years?

Are you a "clinical technologist", then, kit? Apparently, you are only "expected" ("required"?) to join the Register if you claim to be one.


Note the wording:- "only undertakes ... ", as if the humble medical equipment engineering tech (ie, the hands-on guy) is somehow considered as some kind of lesser mortal.

I see the VRCT as the revenge of the Medical Physics types! Am I wrong?

I'm with you Geoff - damm their eyes those Medical Physics Types!