EBME Forums Forums Management Professional Issues VRCT - A death knell

If need be yes. Why on earth would you think I wouldn't?
(Rhetorical question.)

One more personal remark or off topic post and another useful thread gets locked.

Can I take an opportunity to explain a couple of other issues around the VRCT which are continually raised on the Forum?

Firstly, there are many calling for competence-based training which reflects the previous skills, knowledge and experience of an individual. This already exists! The IPEM Training Scheme provides a number of routes: one of which is the fast track route which takes account of the prior experience and learning of an individual. Thus if a new entrant to the profession has, for example, fifteen years experience working in the engineering industry as an electronics technician and holds an HNC in electronic engineering they will be credited with that experience and knowledge. Following a training needs analysis they will then follow a competence-based training programme in medical engineering which will be externally moderated by an independent IPEM assessor (who will be an experienced Medical Engineer). How long this takes depends on the individual and the effort their Department provides in supporting the training programme. This will be without the need to take a degree or post graduate education programme as the necessary bridging knowledge should be delivered as part of the training programme. The successful end point means the individual will be awarded the IPEM Diploma in Clinical Technology (Medical Engineering). They will then be eligible to join the VRCT. (Note: Training departments must be accredited by IPEM. Hence the responsibility to take the first step rests with the organisation that employs you.)

There are a number of other routes. One involves undertaking a relevant educational programme in conjunction with the IPEM Training Scheme. The educational programme need not be accredited by IPEM but it must be a relevant programme in Medical Engineering.

It is with regret that we still have not identified any Higher Education Institute whose degree programme in Medical Engineering (biomedical engineering, etc) can be accredited as an approved vocational degree programme. IPEM have been striving to rectify this anomaly and are currently working with a number of educational providers to achieve this end. Furthermore, ART has reached agreement with Bradford University to provide appropriate educational modules for Renal Technologists. These are taken in conjunction with the ART Training Scheme. Additionally, the professional bodies are working with the Department of Health, through the Modernising Scientific Careers programme, to develop vocational degree programmes. It is hoped that a number of these programmes will be available later this year.

Secondly, there are continual calls for registration with the Engineering Council (EC) to be the benchmark to join the VRCT. The VRCT Assessors’ Panel comprise a majority who are registered with the EC. If it were that simple we would have followed that route years ago. Unfortunately, engineering registration is generic. You can gain registration in any area of engineering. For example, if you are EC registered in Aircraft Engineering you cannot then simply transfer to Medical Engineering and claim to be registered in that field. Your competencies and knowledge would not fit! You would then have to follow some form of formal bridging education and training – the IPEM Training Scheme for example.

Additionally, engineering registration is set at a higher level than that of registration with the VRCT. VRCT registration is set at the entry point to the profession. If you were new to engineering, completed your training and registered with the VRCT, you would have to wait some additional time before you could accumulate the necessary experience to become EC registered! Thus, although engineering registration with the EC is an essential attribute for any engineering professional, it cannot be used as the benchmark for engineering professionals wishing to register as healthcare professionals with the VRCT or other regulator in the future. This is because protecting the patient starts at day one when appointed to a responsible position!

Finally, I believe the VRCT and its associate professional bodies need to strive more to explain these issues in their literature and websites. I apologise that this has not always been the case and will do my best to ensure that the information resources available to you are improved.

Jim Methven

VRCT Registrar

Jim,
Thank you for this I have just seen this: on the IPEM site, I must have overlooked it before.

I am finding it hard to find any detailed information on either the IPEM or VRCT site for training paths. Is this because of the guidance from MSC taking so long to come through?
RoJo

Or could it be that they are making it up as they go along?

How many more years need to pass before all this stuff is finalised? How long does it take?

Maybe this is what they mean by "grandfathering"?*

* That is, by the time it's sorted, new entrants will have become grandfathers!

As a grandfather who was 'grandfathered' on to the VRCT I'd like to pay tribute to Jim and the other IPEM volunteers who have persevered with this scheme. I'm sure if Jim could push a button and everything would fall into place then he would...but the world doesn't work like that. When my grandchild asks 'Are we nearly there yet?' I say 'we're getting there as quickly as we can!'

Good answer.

I believe in the background Jim and Co at IPEM and ART are actually fighting hard for technologists and scientists against the Government and the Chief Scientific Officer who want to implement a unthoughtout and unworkable plan on us all.
The problem is that we are having to try to fit in to hal made guidelines at the moment.
I think the initial official view was that it should all be handled by the universities with no "practical" input the same way nursing has gone - now do't get me started on that.
RoJo

Down the too posh to wash route!!!

Full of head knowledge but no practical experience (use?)
RoJo

Educated idiots?

Or, as my Dear Old Dad used to say (sometimes about Yours Truly, I'm afraid):- "neither use nor ornament"!

But don't worry, there will be plenty of Romanians, Bulgarians et al ... plus (I guess) a few from North Africa.


Will they need to bother about the VRCT?