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

Regulation or protection of titles does nothing to prevent patients suffering from poor workmanship.

Builders and doctors have all sorts of associations and institutions that do not prevent problems, believe me I have suffered at the hands of these people, and it is not possible to get any sort of redress after the fact

Patient protection comes from training, a commitment to do the job properly and to conform to particular industry requirements.
Many years ago I belonged to the IEE. I left because the only thing I was getting out of it was the magazine, job vacancies etc. and the ability for other people to comfort themselves by assuming I must be qualified for the job.

In my book Institutions are not worth the fees they charge or the reverence they are given.

So we do nothing then?

So "Patient protection comes from training, a commitment to do the job properly and to conform to particular industry requirements."

Registration/regulation will provide the 'industry requirements' and as a result will give direction to training. The commitment to do the job properly is a personal trait; one which I would hope we all have.

After registration as a Clinical Technologist with the HPC one of the requirements for continued registration will be CPD.Are Trusts (ie finance departments) geared up for this, are they even aware it is going to happen. I have my doubts, so how is this going to impact on training?

Ever thought that the workforce survey (that EBME sceptics don't want to participate in) may have something to do with this?

Good point Richard, but I still doubt if individual Trusts have realised the financial implications of what will effectively impose training costs on them.

HPC relies on legislation to ensure that those working in protected roles are fully qualified. If the NHS follows suit with technologists as it did with Clinical Scientists then I can see no reason why employers can't insist that they are funded for training new-entrants.

Having dutifully paid my £10pa since the VRCT started, I'm now beginning to wonder what my money's being spent on, and if for some reason it fails to achieve HPC registration, would we get our money back?

Whilst I feel happy about being HPC registered. I wonder how many more years VRCT fees I will have to pay out?!

It is voluntary when all's said and done. I guess that if individuals don't want their money spent on VRCT or IPEM then they don't have to remain in VRCT or become members of IPEM.

If someone complains to me that they feel they have to pay for something that's actually voluntary and they don't agree with it they must think that there is a chance of a payback somewhere along the line.

What to do, Richard asks, if you don't like associations / institutions. (Not that I think he is of that frame of mind.)
I think the progression to an organisation of some sort may be inevitable as the existing institutions will be lobbying the NHS hard to become the chosen one. It will swell their coffers magnificently.
If we want to stop it, all we can do, I think (and I am not a political animal so may not be the best person to answer), is to give a good service, make our managers aware of the financial consequences of organising, (fees, pay stucture, training etc, etc) and let them know we do not think it is required. After all, a lot of buinesses employ engineers at the moment without any sort of formal qualification structure and are very successful. Why shouldn't the NHS do likewise.
While I accept that our job has a bit extra tacked on to it, in that patient protection is a consideration in our daily lives, I can't see that that requires us to be exceptional people to do the job.