EBME Forums Forums Management Professional Issues VRCT - A death knell

Barney then again after finding his blog I notice Geoff Hannis does have all day to write his posts since he's 'semi-retired'.

The rest of us of have got jobs to do and it does seem the adage more haste, less speed is often correct with posts, in a day with not enough hours in it.

WOW! nobody told me it was national bash Geoff week, is there a holiday involved?

Thank you Barney. But best be careful, Mate, else you'll end up being vilified as well!

By the way, I'm told that (these days) "spelling doesn't matter, just as long as you're understood". Not that I agree with that point of view of course. But, there again, what does matter these days?

@Chris. What's the matter with you Mate? If you need help, I can recommend a few avenues. But at least on this occasion you seem to have mastered the spelling checker, so it looks like there has been some improvement, then.

@Neil. Yes, it looks like it's "flavour of the month" time once again. Don't worry, this is the sort of thing what sometimes happens when people with limited capabilities begin to lose an argument.

Meanwhile, back to the VRCT. Perhaps there needs to an interview to assess character before each prospective member can have his (her) name added to the list. Plus a hand-written application, of course (in joined-up writing)!

@Huw. OK ... are you going to lock down this one, too?

"needs to BE an interview"

Could someone explain a way through this conundrum please (This is a serious request - not a dig - as we have people in this situation)
From the Guidance for Applicants on the VRCT web site.

On the IPEM web site there are no "approved" B.Sc's in Clinical Engineering (EBME or call it what you like). How do people in this field get on an approved course if there is no degree to go with it?
Are there any "accredited" training courses in our field (there are medical physics technologist ones)? I know of none but it does not mean they do not exist.
If there is only a few "accredited" centers are older, industry (military) served, experienced engineers expected to leave home and family and go away to university for three years? With the presumably lower pay of a trainee.

I think the assumption that we will only be training school leavers is making the current, time served, but perhaps not paper qualified, people wary of this whole scheme.

Are there other ways to become registered for recently employed, experienced people other than seemingly non-existant training programmes?

Many thanks
RoJo

Darn it, Dan ... I had left that one for Chris to spot!

@Rojo: Jim (Methven) took a stab at answering the question "where are the training courses"? on the other (recently locked) thread.

Rojo,
This is yet another area where the the VRCT needs to amend its ways. Most of my colleagues came into EBME from other service industries and were trained on-the-job. The problem with that is the fact that there is no "accreditation" for the knowledge they have gained over the years. This knowledge could be the equivalent to a masters degree but it goes unrecognised.
But I still beleive that the VRCT will have to relax it's entry criteria under the new registration paper because it will no loner be statutory or be allowed to legally hold a protected title.

I think that you may find that most of us came from different service industries. Myself included.
I think that that is a good thing as they bring in ideas that the NHS need as they have been too long in their Cocoon.
As for the accreditation for prior knowledge, this definately has to be addressed.
This should all be on your training record held in your bosses/education department . The problem we have are with some manufacturers in that they have a caveat on their training that it is only valid for the Hospital that you were employed with when training was conducted.
Records of training should be held locally but also freely available for others (with your permission) to look at and transferable between sites.

@Geoff I'd rather have 3000 people feel free to post a hurried post than have just one person talking to themselves. I have had people tell me that they would post to ebme but you actually put them off!

Getting back to the VRCT I also noticed while reading your blog, that you're not even what they call these day a stakeholder in VRCT so don't see why your even bothered with it, unless like your blog suggests you're a agent provocateur, may explain those anti-NHS posts and strange points of view!

One thing I have noticed in the past few weeks, some trusts that are involved in staff redeployments due to the PCT redundancies have restricted clinical scientist part 1 training to existing trust employees. Something I haven't seen previously but it is supported under the new Modernising Scientific Careers. This same framework also supports training up of lower grades to practitioner level so it might mean that until training is in place trusts have to recruit more lower grade apprentices . Which is does seem is going to limit the available workforce for at least a couple of years.

Why not name them (the poor, sensitive souls)? ... perhaps we could come to some sort of understanding.


Yes, why don't you? Although perhaps I should thank you for finding time in your busy day to peruse my (ancient) blog!

And (lastly), I don't know anything about "stakeholders", but (as far as I am aware) you don't have to be registered with the VRCT to post to this forum (yet)! But, to be fair, no doubt many within the NHS will find your final paragraph to be of great interest.