EBME Forums Forums Free discussion Free discussion IPEM - the best organisation to represent technicians?

I agree with Darren and other like minded ppl, a site/forum or institute related to our own field will serve us well.
Do we have anymore information on this clinical engineering network Darren?, wiil this network be pertinent to ebme, clinical engineering, technoligists? will there be a forum?
I think any information on this this network is appreciated as we all are trying to achieve the same goal in the medical engineering field.

I believe we already have a forum that works very well. If you accept that why do you want to institutionalise it. In the past institutions were set up to disseminate information, and regulate a group of people so as to maintain a professional standard amongst people who sold their services privately.
This forum disseminates information very well, it is not very common for us to sell our sevices privately,(most of us work in the NHS under some sort of management,) why is an istitution percieved to be necessary. Do we want regulation and all the expense, rules of conduct, and limitations that that brings?

Regulation is coming whether we want it or not.It's becoming a question of who and how, and at what cost.

I was reading one of the many radiographer mags that float around our house the other day. HPC renewal is going up to £72 per year. Also it mentioned there was a fee of about £160 for people re-joining the register, which I assume would apply to new applicants too.

Obviously that is a lot more than the £10 for the VRCT, but no more expensive than registration as an engineer with EC(UK) and an appropriate institution. Personally, I would rather pay to register with EC(UK) than pay for the HPC.

Rick,

I accept your point of view. We set this forum up to be open and inclusive to anyone interested in medical equipment. I think the reason it is so successful is because is is free and open. We do have a code of conduct on this site, which the majority of members abide by.

It may be possible to set up a working/steering group to represent the views of our members. I don't think we need yet another forum, it will further separate us as a community.

We do need to ensure our members feel able to speak freely, and that no-one tries to belittle anyone who has something to say. We do review everything that goes on and add things to the site that we think are appropriate. If people want to pay to join institutes - there are plenty out there. I use this site to air my views, and to learn from others. I don't think setting up another institute will give me anything more.

If HPC registration becomes necessary to apply for jobs at the higher grades in the NHS would EC(UK) registration as an Engineer, rather than a "Clinical Technologist" be of benefit? i.e. would EC(UK) registration be recognised by the HPC and would those registered meet all the necessary specialised requirements?

If the VRCT is driving the "Clinical Technologist" regulation process and IPEM is the institution that's administering it then surely the implication is that IPEM membership and registration with VRCT and subsequently the HPC will be of more benefit than EC(UK) registration if our NHS job-roles are regulated.

The issue surrounding HPC registration is about those working in the healthcare environment with the "capability to do harm" being regulated under the same "umbrella" as other healthcare professionals - not necessarily the issue of regulation (which we've all got the opportunity to participate in currently, anyhow, incidentally) within a generic profession such as engineering.

What protection does EC(UK) registration of engineers working in healthcare give to patients? If individuals lose or give up their EC(UK) registration tomorrow this would not prevent them continuing to earn a living in EBME/Medical Physics since they are currently being employed under any title they wish (except for theose protected by HPC of course) with no come-backs if they decide to kick registration into touch because it costs a few quid.

John/Manni

You might have the wrong idea about our Clinical Engineering Network, it was never the intenion to create a mainly NHS commercial forum the like of EBME, it is, exactly what it is, a Network.
Quite the opposite of community seperation, it has served to bring together many like minded individuals in a practical and beneficial way.
All involved in Clinical Engineering are welcome, nobody is excluded or treated differently, regardless of capacity, position, organisation or nationality.
So what has our band of brothers managed so far ?
Access to an impressive knowlege store, Education and Training/Advice and Seminars, carrer advice, Job vacancy matching and placement services, resource share initiatives (equipment and manpower), funding and grant services, business links for innovators and designers, management consultancy services, specialist engineering services/consultancy(imaging, sterile servives, anaesthesia delivery and ventilation and others and provided equipment manufacturers technical support.
We have provided advice on and implimented some of the latest NHS initiatives and helped to secure a long term contract recently for a company worth over £250,000 per year.
Of course we have discussed future associations and institutes, who hasnt ? but never with a veiw to regulate or impose, we aim simply to maintain and enhance the standards and status of ourselves and others.

Darren

Mr Ling,

If HPC registration becomes necessary, then I will obviously have to comply. I wasn't suggesting that I would register with EC(UK) and hope that was enough. The point I was trying to make was that not everybody aspires to be a "Clinical Technologist". Some of us would just be happy to be recognised as Engineers.

I think some form of regulation is a good idea. Why can't we use a system that already exists? I just don't think that we fit in with other "healthcare professions".

I wonder what the real Clinical technologists feel about there title being used for engineering technicians etc, It may cause some confusion as the rolls are completly different. Clinical technologists prepare and study samples for a clinical scientist!

Hi STU C,

I thought you were at issue with the amount you have to pay - that's how it comes across anyhow. Registration with EC(UK) and membership of IET becomes somewhat redundant if HPC registration and IPEM membership is necessary for NHS and private sector employees working with protected titles. So IET could actually be a waste of money if it is not required to hold down a job with a protected title. Perhaps this is why the IET are now concerned at this stage - I have both IET and IPEM membership since I think it's worthwhile for the magazines, etc.

Don't be fooled that IET are particularly interested in a career structure and training of technologists - not like IPEM are for those working in the NHS particularly - because the NHS is the employer that's likely to use protected titles to comply with the HPC requirements (as per the other professions who're regulated under the HPC). They're probably looking at this from the financial angle and looking to recruit members from the private sector and IPEM that have the "capability to do harm" working in healthcare thus need regulating in some way (but they want to remain "Engineers".

The fact is that NHS employees are already in post and preventing a lot of adverse technical issues sometimes created by manufacturers and suppliers of medical devices and systems themselves - irrespective of all these initials and letters flying around after peoples names - it's training, protected titles and a willingness to comply with specilaised requirements (meant to protect the patient) that will actually prevent harm to patients and allow employers to demonstrate they're trying to mitigate risk.

I don't think the general requirements of EC(UK) registration are sufficient for the job we do. Incidentally there are 7 groups proposed under the Clinical Technologist "umbrella" each with their own scope of practice defined by IPEM. Renal Technologists are included, Drew. The IPEM propoal is biased towards those working in the NHS but isn't this what the HPC covers?