Anyone else get this "threat"? Doesn't sound like its working out for the VRCT if some can simply ignore this nonsense. We all keep ourselves well up to date here in relevant aspects of our job and don't feel we have to prove that to anyone else. I'm starting to question why I'm paying for this and having to suffer emails like the following..


Registrar's Update
No. 17, March 2018



The policy of the RCT Management Panel (RCTMP) is to keep Registrants informed of activities and progress which have an impact on the Register. A brief report follows.

Upcoming CPD Audit
We are once again approaching the time of year when we carry out the CPD audit. The office will soon be sending out the emails to everyone selected for audit, so I thought it may be worth sharing some information in advance. We have seen several registrants removed from the register recently for failing the audit, with some failing to even submit any evidence of CPD. I would therefore urge everyone to fully engage with the process to ensure this does not happen to you.
The RCT has some very useful information on our website here. I would recommend everyone to spend some time reading the information which has been put together to help you all pass the audit if selected. We even have some anonymised submissions from previous CPD audits to help guide you, although I would hope you have already been recording your CPD as it has been happening throughout the year.
Can you also ensure the office has your correct contact details, if anything has changed recently with your email address then you will need to contact us? We don’t want anyone to fail to respond to a request to submit evidence of CPD due to not having kept their details up to date.

So are we.

I don't know what the problem is. We work alongside other health professionals that have to maintain a CPD portfolio to keep their registration, so we should do the same. All that's required is the CPD summary for the RCT so it's relatively easy.

Why? Says who?

We are not medics. And neither are many of us are "certified", "registered" or "licenced".

**********

Hopefully not wandering too far from the topic ...

What's the deal with CPD?

Am I right in assuming that the "professional" in question is expected to maintain (and/or demonstrate) some sort of continuity in a log book, or whatever? Who maintains the records (and supporting documentation)? See here* (.pdf), for example.

For those lucky enough to be employed in large organisations like Hospital Trusts, does the so-called Human Resources department keep track of all this? Otherwise I can imagine that a tech's "CV file" might need to be trolley-mounted after a few years!

Is CPD clocked up in hours, "points", or what? And how many per year?

Sticking to biomeds ... what sort of "development" counts as CPD? Manufacturers' training courses, seminars and so forth, presumably. But who decides what endeavours are valid for CPD (rather than simply "jollies", or other nebulous activities), and how many hours/points they are worth?

Does a hundred hours of fault-finding (soldering practice, electrical safety testing, reading IEC-62353 or BS-7671 - or even "on-line research") etc. count?

In the Real World, how "continuous" does CPD need to be? If a person has been away from work for a while (as in, years), do they have to start again, as it were?

And the thought occurs:- can you "self certify"?

Has anyone ever come across any bogus CPD documentation; or are "embelished" CVs a thing of the past these days?

Lastly - does CPD come up when seeking work; at interviews, for example?

Meanwhile, I'm guessing that this is what Mr. Exitwound was referring to.

* This guy seems to have had a lot of time away from his actual job (whatever it was)!

Many colleagues feel the same as Mr Exitwound, so I seem to be in the minority.

All the documentation, list of activities and CPD Summary examples of are clearly there on Geoffs link.The process of joining RCT is quite rightly challenging so I'm not going to let it lapse and waste that time and effort. I've been updating my CPD summary since 2014 when RCT started auditing and have got used to putting activities in my phone diary then updating my CPD summary when I get time.

Many job person specs state RCT as desirable and tenders for service contracts I've seen have specified RCT registered staff as essential.

A band 6 medical engineer is paid the same as a specialist nurse so should be able to produce evidence that they are at that level. Our non NHS competitors in the private sector are now becoming registered too, so it seems to becoming a benchmark for this kind of work.

A hospital Chair once asked me: "What's the best medical device 'fix' you've ever done?". I couldn't answer because we're all doing that work every day (and night when on call). These can be faults found, procurement, highly skilled repairs or workrounds to get a clinical service up and running. However, none of these 'fixes' are in our CV's but they should be in our CPD activities with a job number as evidence - it would take 30 seconds to tap it into your phone.

I think IPEM could do more to explain the process and benefits - regional meetings perhaps?

However, the bottom line is that no one is forced to join RCT, but when you do you pledge to maintain and update your skill and knowledge in the profession by maintaining your CPD, or drop off the register!

Not so sure that you're in the minority, Kevin, as I've come across many (on this forum, in the main) who seem to agree with what you're saying.

I have also come across a fair number of techs (working in the NHS, it has to be said) who seemed to take great delight in taking days off from the "real work" to attend (what I regarded as nebulous) "courses" such as "Diversity", "Gender Awareness" and so forth. So no doubt their CPD Portfolios were positively glowing (not to mention, over-flowing).

Needless to say I was always too busy doing the "real work" to attend such diversions, myself.

However, I can see the need for CPD - especially for younger folk progressing through our Trade* - just as long as the process is properly managed (regulated, whatever).

After all, many moons ago when I was just a small cog in a Large Organisation myself, we all had to (attempt to) re-qualify on certain skills every year. Depending upon how important the activity was to their assigned role, sometimes those who failed would suffer financial penalty, miss a promotion, or some such downer. Perhaps that sort of thing is what is really needed to keep folk on their toes!

Meanwhile, and unfortunately, I doubt that "my best faults" would hold much sway with the Gods of CPD, because, as far as I can tell, CPD sessions appear to count only when activities are, shall we say, peripheral to the tech's everyday role.

* Not profession? Just to wind-up the Usual Suspects, really.

Every professional body sends out these "threats" I've had one from the IET also, they've got a web page that explains what actually count's as CPD.

HR departments don't keep track of an individuals CPD it's considered an individual choice what CPD you do. The only legal requirement they have is to record your stat/mandatory training. Your line manager should have some input on equipment training as workforce planning.

Reading IEC-62353 or BS-7671 or online research would count, but unless you hadn't done soldering in a long while I doubt soldering practice would. Nursing has reflection and a few companies use black box thinking.

Continuous does mean continuous as if you look at the IET examples your probably doing it anyway and just didn't realise! No embellished CVs aren't a thing of the past if anything it's common. Although it's one thing to claim you've managed x number of employees and other to have a CMI certificate or health and safety training. Yes, you can self-certify if you claim to have knowledge of something this will be tested at an interview.

Although on the question of I'd stick with the VRCT for now as employers do state it being desirable with some essential. Although it looks like the Government is asking a similar question as there was a consultation process on professional registers including PSA.

One of the issues is that each professional register acts differently, what might be a red card for a nurse on the NMC will probably be a warning for a doctor on the GMC. Then there's the fact that there are loads of registers so which register do you join? There are some people on the Academy for Healthcare science. To a member of the public, they just won't get all this so there was a proposal of one public facing register.

Then there's the fact that not everybody joins voluntary registers and if there is a fitness to practice question, it's highly unlikely that they will not be on the register. Therefore for some groups, it has been suggested that prohibition orders might be an alternative. The consultation certainly seems worth keeping an eye on as the VRCT might become obsolete.

So it would seem.

Apparently it's called the RCT now (no V); and the Register holds 2,555 names.

Go and view the register on the RCT website and then type 'suspend' in the search box - I don't think with 7 suspensions out of 2555 people, anyone has much to fear...and then what exactly are you suspended from? - a voluntary register!

The whole thing is a complete waste of time, effort and money (IMO).

Fair enough, Rob.

What's your take on CPD?

You're going to get into trouble with Huw yet again for going off topic...

But

"CPD is the holistic commitment of professionals towards the enhancement of personal skills and proficiency throughout their careers." - I chant these words three times whilst standing under a copy of my expired VRCT certificate every morning before I start work.

It's something that should occur naturally / shouldn't require any conscious effort within your day-to-day role - you get shown and then you learn how to do things yourself (and then hopefully you pass the info on) - a continuous cycle. There should never really be a point where you stop learning.
Do we need to document it? If that cycle (learn-do(-teach)) is broken somewhere then this would hopefully highlight the problem to someone who cares enough to do something about it. If you work somewhere with a good work ethic, then all documenting CPD does is waste time that could be used productively (again IMO).
It's a measure, for those external to your immediate area of work, that the system you are working in is working itself.

Yes; I agree. Surely it's all about the mindset* of the "Noble Technician"** - the enquiring mind, the "hands-on imperative" and all such good stuff.

Although I must admit to having had the dubious pleasure in the past (and not just overseas) of being burdened with "technicians" who seemed to be prepared, shall we say, to simply rest on their laurels (not to mention their questionable, and generally over-inflated, "documentation").

No doubt most of us could suss out a wrong 'un within twenty minutes, without having to recourse to a search through their CPD (or any other) Portfolio.

* One of my favourite words.
** (c) Huw

The government have said on several occasions that there is no need for us to be state registered, so what part of NO, do these people not understand.

If it did go ahead then it would be VRCT's excuse to hit us with an annual bill for £200-300 and to spend time with a lot of formal and nonsensical record keeping to provide jobs for them. If this does go ahead, then that's the time to deal with it and not before.

We waste enough time as it is checking emails, infilling KSF with whatever we think will do to get shot of it, logging "cpd" etc, playing the Learnpro games. We're here to look after the equipment in our remit and getting regular access to it is difficult enough without having to spend even more time on a keyboard.

There are just four of us here, covering a 400 bed acute hospital, and doing everything in-house as well as covering five other hospitals, 72 GP/Health centre locations and carrying out duties pertaining to the specification/equipping of major projects and builds. Our time is precious!

This is what we do and we do it very well, but this VRCT bs is in no way constructive to us. I feel its just a vehicle for those to escape their normal duties and sideways shift to an admin type job the same way I used to watch people become union delegates in my past life. Most of us 'hands on' types have no interest in this VRCT and wish only to continue carrying out our duties, and fortunately for us neither do a lot of health boards and departments within.

Bravo!

To say I am disappointed and saddened in equal measure is probably the biggest underestimate I can make about this forum subject to date. As a CPD auditor for IPEM , RSCi and the RCT it would be useful to get some insider knowledge and a qualified opinion, rather than people making sweeping statements about what they ‘think’ the RCT’s role is for its members (both now and in the future) and the value of membership, or not.

As people have already said, membership is not mandatory, however in some instances employers are now asking for membership, or eligibility to be on the register as part of job applications. It’s been almost 17 years since the launch of the RCT (then the VRCT) and in 2015 the RCT register obtained official approval via the PSA, and wrote to employers asking that they consider the register as a governance and assurance way forward for members within our profession. In January 2018, the government report on regulation for all healthcare professions reached its final date for consultation and this is know going to the next stage.
https://consultations.dh.gov.uk/professional-regulation/regulatory-reform/

Whether RCT gets any additional ‘mandatory’ status or not should not deflect from the need to be professional in our work, activities and approach to increasing our knowledge, sharing with others and our focus on patient care. Recording this for our annual appraisal meeting, job performance review or for an official state/voluntary register is the same information.

Some members have also commented about parity with nursing, doctors and the other many state regulated professions. The HCPC methods of assuring CPD has been adopted by IPEM and the RCT in equal measure and passing the CPD audit is neither an arduous task, or beyond the reach (or scope) of every day work for all our colleagues.

Guidelines simply state that.;
1. we keep a record of CPD
2. There is a good spread across the year (no more than 3 month gaps)
3. There is good mix of activities …. 5 types are listed ranging for ‘professional activity’ to ‘self directed learning’ and there are hundreds of examples of what you can use.
4. there is reflection about how the CPD benefits you as a person (in terms of new things learnt, challenges faced or further knowledge required to better understand things
5. How the CPD activity has benefited the dept, patient or employer.

There are more and more examples coming through of what (and how) the CPD return should look like, and after all its only a summary that is required. In addition the RCT have arranged webinars to help anyone submitting their return this year, and auditors are sharing their knowledge too to help members through the process.

As an auditor that oversaw the 2015 (sample) and 2016 CPD returns it was obvious the we all need help and guidance in how to record our CPD and how to meet the requirements. In both years there was a 50% failure rate in simple things such as
a) more than 3 month gaps
b) only 1, or 2 types of activity; instead of the 3 that is required

These simple failings meant the CPD submissions will fail. After all you wouldn’t take your car for an MOT with bald tyres or worn wiper blades (would you ??)… then lets make sure we know what is required and how we can best meet these simple requirements.

I sat down with a colleague at work last week and spent no more than 1 hour compiling his annual CPD return, (his first ever) and it’s ready for RCT submission. We listed all the activities he’s done and anything that we thought would be suitable. And reading, and contributing to the forum and sharing ideas and thoughts with peers on EBME.co.uk is also one of them!!!!!

One of our biggest challenges is how best to write our thoughts and reflections on the 2 factors that also cause us to fail CPD audits ; (benefits for you, and also your employer/service). As soon as you put your mind to it, then it does become easier. Take care not to cut and paste the same statements as we look for that too, and try to think of 2 key factors.

1. What has, and how have I improved?… if not why not?
2. What has reduced, and has it saved time, reduced variation, money, service costs etc.

Don’t forget that there are patients at the centre of all we do and it wouldn’t go amiss to mention the influence you have had on servicing their equipment, care, treatment or saved time and improved their lot.

My fingers are crossed for May’s CPD audit day, and Im really hoping that RCT members do us proud (and I’m a member) and we assure the auditors, our employer, patients, and the public that we are as professional in our approach to our job, education and life long learning as our colleagues in nursing and other state regulated professions.

oh dear, I hope Mr exitwound is at the top of their band
Unfortunately, with the new pay deal, you can expect more emphasis on KSF, appraisals and CPD. At least you can thank some of those union delegates for insisting on a transition period. The original proposal was for immediate implementation, no development or appraisal no more increments.

Sounds more like you've got a staffing problem there. You work for roughly 1762.5 hours in the year of which most bodies specify 30 - 40 hours CPD. That's about 2% of your time doing CPD, that's less time according to some reports than in the toilet, or attending meetings or reading emails.

Hope Huw doesn't mind me going off topic a bit to excel the ebme seminar coming up soon but last years was highly interesting. Although I do note that where some delegates were encouraged to attend whereas others had to negotiate the release. If you have to spend 100% on the tools there's something seriously wrong with your organisation!

I'm not Feeling the Love here, guys.

All these acronyms are indicative of what happens when organisations become "Too Big to Fail" ... they become bloated bureaucracies that spend far too much time (and, in some cases, all their time) on internal politics and what-have-you, rather than cracking on with the real work to hand.

How could a comment like that ever be construed as being off topic, Chris...

Geoff however...

I must admit I was a longstanding member (Almost from the very beginning)and even wrote the need into the job descriptions for the department.
When a Flaw in the renewal process left me on the expired side, I was at cause to evaluate the benefits of registration. Whilst I want the registration to be Mandatory, As i belive this is the best for all. I do not think that theRCT are competent in meeting the standards that they aspire to. The shear fact I found myself in the position I did, was equally their fault. I could not consider reapplying out of principle. Likewise I have now "written out" the need for the whole department even as a desirable.
I still see the need to have a big brother and have found an already regulated one.I am busy embedding this. At least this one approaches its renewals in the standard way.That way if you get removed its for a genuine reason.

This might sound like bitter grapes and for the best part is. However if they wish to be taken seriously and do audits of their members activities they need to get their own house in order, and meet the current standards. That all the other regulated organisations do. The comments of "It would cost too much" to do a proper job. Just alienated me just further. My ethos is "value for money but it must be a proper job"

I am lucky in the fact I can make the call for my team, and I was the person with the problem. If I had taken it at face value and it had been a member of my staff they could have lost their job along with their registration.
All I can say is best shot of them (the RCT) and I hope that all the existing and potential members consider the very low membership costs as indicative of the standards they set themselves. i urge them to exercise their right, and leave before its too late. If we are worth any salt. We want to do a good job and should demand better standards not bureaucracy.

'hoisted by one's own petard'

You were doing OK until I got to this:-


Why?

And then, which one?

.Isn't it nicer to have someone else say you are doing a good job. I know we do a good job, but no one who pays listens to me.
The difficult my team do immediately the impossible takes longer.

"The impossible we do in a day. Miracles take a little longer." - Brigadier (later Major-General) Orde Wingate (Burma 1943).

Is it time IPEM gave up on the RCT and simply insist all those working in healthcare signed up to a PSA recognised credentialing register? The UK med tech industry has set up a not-for-profit organisation to allow any company or individual to register, providing they meet the minimum requirements. These are far less onerous than those for the RCT and do not require specific degree level qualifications to join. Take a look at https://lifescienceindustry.co.uk

What's wrong with IPEM? At least they produce some useful documents.

And no - I'm not a member.

Why do we (you) need yet another "register"?

In fact, why do we (you) need any "register"?

Meanwhile, how much does membership of this "not-for profit" organisation cost (annual fees, and what-have-you)?

Nothing wrong with RCT (or IPEM) but their entry requirements are far too high for most engineers working on medical equipment and often assume you actually work in a medical physics of EBME department

Unfortunately, many hospitals now mandate some form of credentialing to allow access to hospitals. The department for health requested a common scheme be developed for this function, which how the LSI one came about. Many of the schemes adopted by hospitals are not appropriate for those working on medical equipment, as they are designed for works departments dealing with electrical contractors and other infrastructure related trades.

The LSI scheme costs £30 per year for individuals.

Above the RCT scheme the LSI has a photo ID card to positively identify individuals that include a GS1 bar code, which the NHS is mandating for individuals as well as products.

Pity they don't have something similar to identify entitled patients!

Maybe in part our American colleges are a little to blame as every one in the Biomed world in the US seems to have some form of degree, with their BMET Biomedical Engineering Technologist title. Where as in Europe most degree level types would want to classed as an Engineer, here in Italy they also use the title of Dottore…. just what you would call a Biomed that also has a PhD only God knows.

Not really the same argument, but…. as I was leaving my life in olive drab, the Physiotherapists managed to gain Officer status, with the knock on effect that the Rad and Lab tech's started their movement for the same (or maybe the other way around) however it did free up some very nice rooms in the Sergeants Mess……
Don't now the actuality today but maybe our REME grandsons are the only NCO's left….

The American (that is, USA) degrees didn't used to be viewed as being the same as (equivalent to) "ours". Back in my time in Desert locations, our (my) HNCs were classed an "Associates Degree" in American terms.

Yes, I have also worked with Italian biomeds; one of them had the temerity to mention the "doctor" thing, but apart from that (him) I don't recall anyone else ever bringing it up - probably to avoid the "mirth" it would have generated, I suspect!

What to call a biomed with a PhD? Ask John.

Actually, they seem to be quite common amongst American biomeds - many of whom are also CCE - who then seem to prefer to step away from "hands-on", to start telling everyone's Granny how to suck eggs!

I was around when RAMC male nurses with SRN started getting commissions. After all, the QARANC SRNs were commissioned as Nursing Sisters, so why not. It's called equality, I guess. Although I must admit that I prefer "tradition"* myself.

I knew a couple of REME tiffys who reckoned that transferring to the medics might improve their chances of gaining a commission. Not sure that any of them actually did it, though. Although back in those days I never came across an RAMC Stores Officer who wasn't an "ex-ranker". As an aside, there was also some talk at one time of getting the RAMC to take on the "electro-med" trade (and thereby offer a modicum of a structured career path through the ranks). I also recall an heretical proposal to transfer the whole trade to the RAF (MDSS, and all that); to be honest, at the time I could see the merit in that idea myself!

It seemed to me that ex-ranker officers rarely got placed in decent (interesting) jobs, anyway. Unless, of course, being Wines Member at Arborfield was your "thing". Back in the Day, the main REME medical equipment workshop in BAOR was in the charge of an ASM (WO1) - and it was far better for it, too (after that it became a Captain's post).

Meanwhile (although I'm pleased to report that I managed by and large to avoid them wherever possible), I don't remember ever coming across a REME officer who had transferred in from some other Corps (etc.) - although during my time we did see the odd ex-RE Marine Engineer and what-have-you coming across as a Vehicles tiffy. We also suffered a few "direct entrant" tiffys (blokes coming straight "from industry", given sergeant rank and loaded straight away onto their tiffy courses) ; even in the Electronics trades - needless to say, however good (or perhaps, bad) they were, they weren't universally welcomed by the blokes.

* Nursing Sisters were given officer status in order to "protect" them; as well as affording them whatever decent accommodation was available. Don't forget also that back in those days, Nursing Sisters were generally fine, "posh", ladies! That is, women of a "certain class".

During my 18 months at Bielefeld the officer in charge was a REME Major, ex, current? SAS, his uniform looked pretty resplendent with all the daggers and wings, and a decent sort of guy….(until he sent all the Germany based electromeds on a week long escape and invasion, oh well at least it was summer.)

as for the * couldnt agree more ;-)

They made it a *Major's post! When was this, I wonder (I was there 1979-82)? How many blokes were there (including the hospital detachments, of course) at that time?

Are you pulling my leg there, Malcolm; how could those all those guys be spared for a week of non-productive fun like that?

I once proposed an exercise based on a hike up the hill to the Teutoburger Wald, complete with tools and test equipment (aka AVOs) stuffed into '58 pattern webbing to navigate to a "crashed" Bedford that had "spilled" a Picker field x-ray set. The mission was to "fault find" the (simple) fault on the Picker, make the repair then heave it back into the lorry, get the Bedford going again and cabby back to Richmond Barracks for tea and medals in the Mess! All pretty realistic, I thought (considering our role) - remember "battlefield repair techniques"? Needless to say, my plan was vetoed by Captain H***, citing something along the lines that "we don't have time for that sort of thing".

The only "warlike" things I can remember getting involved in at Bielefeld were supporting the Field Hospital exercises at Olen, and the Rheindahlen Marches! In fact is was very difficult to get away from "work" at all. All I managed to escape to was a couple of weeks at the Army's Outward Bound School in Norway (which was a great experience); naturally, I checked out the Boiling Sterilizer whilst I was there!

* I would be interested to learn the name of that gentleman - PM me if you like.

We had an ex-SAS RAMC Major at the BMH in Hong Kong (I'm told he ended up as a Brigadier); I helped him set up a nice little exercise which entailed a bit of gentle abseiling followed by a hike across the hills (semi-jungle, but also gentle, as we had nurses with us) and a bit of radio procedure to end up at the BBQ on the beach. Luckily, I had kept hold of the compass (and the map)! All very "medic", if you know what I mean. There were only two of us REME techs there in those days, and we could only be "spared" (away) one at a time. Great times, though; probably the best two years of my life!

OK Malcolm, that's enough about RCT(V) ... better get back to VRCT (or RCT as it is now known).


... currently standing at sixteen suspensions (from a total membership of 2,662), and all cited for "CPD Failure".

I am another who has let my RCT lapse, in all the years i held it no one asked if i was on the register ,and my last company stopped asking people to join it, my present company didn't even know what it was about.

Anybody read NHS Improve's "Deploying the HCS workforce to support COVID-19" interesting statement

"All Healthcare Science staff not currently registered are expected to join an Accredited Voluntary Register."