Registrar’s Update

Registrar’s Update July 2020

 

CPD Audit

The annual CPD audit process is nearning completion. The CPD Auditors have assessed the final submissions and registrants have been informed of the outcome. Three members of the RCT Management Board volunteered for audit and we are pleased to report that their submissions were successful. A CPD audit report will be forwarded to all registrants and added to the RCT website in due course.  Please continue to record your activities on the  Summary of CPD Activity or directly on mycareerpath® where you will be able to create a report of your recorded evidence should you be selected for audit next year.  Paper submissions are not accepted.  If you would like further information on how to use  mycareerpath® please see the CPD pages on the RCT website.

New Clinical Computing scope of practice – pilot volunteers required

The RCT MB are always happy to discuss proposals for new Scopes of Practice for the RCT and you can read the guidance on how to do this here. We are currently piloting a new clinical computing scope, which should be ready for launch later this year. If you are working in a relevant post within clinical computing and are interested in taking part in this pilot, please email us.  Discussions are also ongoing regarding adding further new scopes of practice and we will report further on this when we can.

Return from overseas practice policy

As mentioned in the March 2020 issue of the Registrar’s Update, we advised that  we were developing a policy to help overseas registrants on their return to the UK. We recognise that some registrants may wish to work overseas for a period and maintain their registration during this period; alternatively registrants may apply for a career break whilst away from the UK. This policy has now been finalised and can be found here, along with the notification form. Please get in touch if you have any queries about this.

Direct debit payments for renewal fees – reminder

There are still some registrants who have not yet set up a direct debit for the payment of the annual renewal fee. This is now the   only way in which registrants with a UK bank account can renew their registration. Your direct debit mandate needs to be received by our finance team by November 2020 at the latest to ensure that it is active in time for the 2021 renewal period. Please ensure that you submit your form in time to avoid your registration lapsing. We will be sending out monthly reminders until November. Please use this link to access the direct debit application form.

New Assistant Registrar

We are pleased to announce that Paul Blackett has been elected as the new Assistant Registrar and his role will commence at the end of August 2020, when our current  Assistant Registrar, Andy Mosson steps down from the role. This creates a vacancy for a new IPEM representative to sit on the RCT Management Board. This role will be advertised  shortly and  interested parties should check the IPEM and RCT website for details.

Code of Conduct

All RCT Registrants are required to adhere to the Code of Professional Conduct and are sent a copy of this document when accepted onto the Register. The code has recently been reviewed and updated and can be viewed here

Management Board meetings

Due to the current situation with the Covid-19 pandemic, the June Management Board meeting was held virtually. You can view the summary minutes on the RCT website. The October meeting will also be held virtually on 1st October 2020. We hope you are all coping with the disruption the pandemic is causing and are staying safe and well.

Iain Threlkeld

The RCT Registrar

 

Registrar’s Update March 2020

 

CPD Audit

The annual CPD audit process has now commenced. All those selected for audit of their 2019 CPD records have now been informed and need to submit by 1st April 2020.  Please ensure that you submit your summary in time, as this is a requirement of your registration. When selected for audit, we ask that you upload your Summary of CPD Activity form to mycareerpath® or create a report of your recorded evidence on  mycareerpath®, which can then be submitted for audit.  Paper submissions cannot be accepted via email or post.  If you would like further information on how to use  mycareerpath® please see the CPD pages on the RCT website.   To view our CPD webinar, giving advice and guidance on how best to complete your CPD audit submission to ensure all standards are met, click here.

RCT Assessors required

Due to the continued growth of the RCT, we are again looking for additional Assessors to assess both Primary and Equivalence applications. We are particularly in need of those working in the Medical Engineering, Radiation Physics, Radiation Engineering and Radiotherapy Physics scopes of practice; however we welcome applications from eligible Registrants from all of the RCT scopes. Full training will be given, and the work can count towards your CPD portfolio. To find out more, please see the Get Involved page on the RCT website.

Reporting concerns

All Registrants have a duty to report any concerns they may have in the workplace. If your complaint refers to an RCT registrant, or you are reporting the outcome of disciplinary proceedings taken by an employer against a registrant, please address this directly to the Secretary of the RCT Professional Conduct Committee (PCC). Complaints requiring a formal resolution might include concerns regarding a registrant’s conduct or alleged failure to meet the standards set out in the RCT Code of Professional Conduct.  These types of complaints will require a complainant to set out in writing (letter or email):

·         the name of the individual about whom they wish to complain.

·         the nature of the complaint.

·         who has been involved so far.

·         what has/has not been done.

·         why they are not satisfied with the outcome; and

·         their own name and address and how we should contact them.

If, for any reason, a complainant is unable to submit their complaint in writing (letter or email) then the complainant can contact the Secretary of the RCT PCC, by telephone, who will take down the details (as set out in the bullet list above) of the complaint on the complainant’s behalf.

Please see the How to complain section of the RCT website for further information.

Direct debit payments for renewal fees – reminder

As mentioned in previous Registrar’s Updates, emails and on the RCT website, the only way in which all UK based registrants will be able to renew their registration from 2021 onwards is by setting up a direct debit. Your direct debit mandate needs to be received by our finance team by November 2020 at the latest to ensure that it is active in time for the 2021 renewal period. Please ensure that you submit your form in time to avoid your registration lapsing. We will be sending out monthly reminders until November. Please use this link to access the direct debit application form.

New Clinical Computing scope of practice – reminder for interested parties

A reminder that we have recently introduced a new Clinical Computing scope of practice for the RCT and are about to commence piloting of the new scope, before introducing it for new applicants.  If you know of anybody in your department who is working in Clinical Computing (management of computer systems, not software development) and is interested in applying to join the RCT, please ask them to email the RCT for further details of the pilot.

COVID 19 – Coronavirus

With the continued presence of the Coronavirus, the Professional Standards Authority has produced guidance for registrants and the public. You can read their statement, here.

Return from overseas practice policy

The RCT recognizes that some registrants may wish to work overseas for a period of time and maintain their registration during this period; or alternatively apply for a career break whilst away from the UK. We are currently developing a policy to help overseas registrants on their return to the UK and will bring you further news once this has been finalised.

Iain Threlkeld

The RCT Registrar

 

Registrar’s Finance Update December 2019

 

It has been a while since I first put together a finance update for all registrants. The aim back then was to answer the question about how your annual fee is spent by the register.

The RCT periodically sends out information via the registrars update. These are sent following the management board meetings which take place three times a year. We do this to keep registrants abreast of developments, but also to highlight matters which we need to make you aware of. As well as these I have also sent out updates on specific issues, such as the results of the CPD audit.

Often we receive little feedback from registrants about our communication, but following the last finance update, the IPEM office received an unprecedented number of emails thanking us for putting out this information. With this in mind, I feel it is about time we repeated this and provided you all with an updated explanation for how your registration fee will be spent by the RCT in 2020.

It is worth noting that IPEM supported the RCT financially for many years, however it is an important part of the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) accreditation that the Register demonstrates that it can be self-sustaining, so we can no longer reply on IPEM to do this.

This diagram demonstrates how the £24.75 renewal fee is divided between the financial commitments of the register.

The largest part of the fee is of course the £15.29 each registrant contributes to the running of the register. This includes such costs as office overheads and the website and online register. However the largest percentage of this is for staff time, which is provided by IPEM but funded by the RCT.

It was not until I became involved with the RCT management board that I saw how much time and effort the hard working IPEM staff contribute to us. There are roles which are essential such as writing and updating our policies and procedures and also getting us through the annual PSA accreditation. They also have hours and hours of work each year processing renewals and the CPD audit. It should be noted that we are moving towards only accepting renewal payments by direct debit and this will help make the register more efficient.

Moving round the chart, the next segment is the £0.99 spent on management board costs. The management board consists of 12 people who meet 3 times per year at the IPEM national office in York to manage the Register. These costs are to cover members’ travelling expenses but the room is provided free by IPEM.  In addition, a small amount is set aside in case management board members need to travel to attend other meetings such as the annual conference held by the Professional Standards Authority who accredit the Register.

RCT disciplinary panel costs are £2.72 per registrant. All members of the Professional Conduct Committee of the RCT undergo annual training for their role which is held at the IPEM national office; again a room, and the training itself, is provided free by IPEM.  In addition, a small amount is set aside in case disciplinary panel members need to travel to attend hearings. We have seen an increase in the number of cases heard by our Professional Conduct Committee over the last few years and this is reflected in the large increase in this area.

PSA fees are the second largest spend at £4.63. This is the cost of annual accreditation by the Professional Standards Authority.

Audit costs – the annual CPD audit involves assessors attending the IPEM National Office to assess the CPD summary forms of registrants selected for audit.  The costs relate to those assessors travelling to the CPD audit day held for 2 days in May at the IPEM National Office in York; a room is provided free by IPEM. The cost of the annual CPD audit is £0.42 each; however a lot of the background work prior to this is carried out by the IPEM office staff and is captured in the ‘Running the Register’ percentage.

Application assessments costs at £0.44 include the training of all RCT application assessors for their role. This takes place annually at the IPEM office where again the room is provided free of charge by IPEM.

Finally promotion and publicity cost each registrant £0.26 a year. This covers the print and design of brochures, leaflets and posters to promote the Register and to educate the public about the RCT’s accredited register as well as about the work done by Clinical Technologists.  In addition, the cost of the certificates sent to new registrants once they have been successful in their application to the Register is factored in.

I hope this explains how your annual fees are spent and when these are compared to other voluntary registers, it shows the RCT is run very effectively and manages to keep its fees as low as possible.

Yours sincerely

Mr Iain Threlkeld

The RCT Registrar

 

Registrar’s Update November 2019

 

RCT and RCCP have signed a Memorandum of Understanding

The RCT is pleased to announce that we have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP). The RCCP holds a voluntary register for practitioners in six disciplines of Clinical Physiology. Their key aim is to ensure the highest levels of safety for patients of clinical physiologists.

Their key work strands include:

·         Maintaining and publishing a publicly accessible register of properly qualified members of the professions

·         Promoting awareness of the Register among employers and education providers

·         Working in partnership with professional bodies to promote the highest standards of professionalism

·         Approving high standards of education and training and continuing professional development

·         Investigating complaints and taking appropriate action

·         Campaigning for the introduction of statutory regulation of clinical physiologists to ensure that nobody can opt out of the patient safety measures that they provide

This agreement sets out our commitment to work together and with other suitable Accredited Registers towards statutory regulation for healthcare science technologists and practitioners, for the better protection of the public; to share financial and operational information as necessary to create a ‘cluster’ register; information shared to be used only for this purpose; to share information on standards, entry requirements, and register policies and procedures, this information to be used solely in order to align these to create a ‘cluster’ register and for no other purpose; to create a separate agreement, in line with the General Data Protection Regulations, should it become necessary to share data on registrants to form a ‘cluster’ register.

To read the RCT and RCCP joint statement, please click here.

Renewal fees

The RCT management board have reviewed the fees for 2020 and details can be found on the RCT website. A registrars update explaining how the annual fees will be spent in 2020 is being put together and will be circulated shortly.

RCT Assessor vacancies

We currently have vacancies for RCT Assessors on the RCT panel. If you are registered on the RCT are looking for a new challenge, this is an interesting and varied role to add to your CV and could also count towards your CPD. If you are an IPEM member and would like to submit an application, please visit the ‘Get Involved’ page on the IPEM website when you are logged into your account, where you will find the role description and generic application form; or see the RCT website.

Mandatory direct debit payments for renewal fees – reminder

As mentioned in previous updates, the RCT Management Board has made the decision to introduce mandatory payment by direct debit for renewal fees for all registrants in the UK.  This will become the only way to pay from December 2020 for renewals due on 1 January 2021.  If you do not currently pay by direct debit, we would encourage you to consider this option for your upcoming renewal, so that this payment method is in place for when it becomes mandatory. You can pay in 1 annual payment in January or have the amount due split into 12 monthly payments. Please use this link to access the direct debit application form.

New ART representative joins the RCT Management Board

The RCT would like to welcome Kevin Gibbs who has replaced Ian Wilde as one of the ART representatives. Kevin has worked at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for over 15 years, 13 of those years as the Lead Renal Technologist for the Renal Services Departments both Adult and Paediatrics.

Proposing a new Scopes of Practice

The RCT is looking for interested groups or individuals to help us develop new scopes of practice. These new scopes of practice are intended for professions which may need a registration home with the RCT. For example the profession may not already have a home, it may have developed over time into a profession in its own right from part of an existing one, or it may be an emerging profession looking to develop registration for the first time.

To assist anyone wishing to bring new scopes of practice to the RCT management board, we have developed a set of guidance notes to set out what we need in order to take any proposal forward. A copy of the guidance notes can be found here.

NEW Scope of practice

We have recently introduced a new Clinical Computing scope of practice for the RCT and are about to commence piloting of the new scope, before introducing it for new applicants.  If you know of anybody in your department who is working in Clinical Computing (management of computer systems, not software development) and is interested in applying to join the RCT, please ask them to email the RCT for further details of the pilot.

PSA Re-Accreditation

We are pleased to advise that the re-accreditation process with the Professional Standards Authority is now complete and we have gained accreditation for the coming year.

Iain Threlkeld

The RCT Registrar

Registrar’s Update July 2019

 

CPD Audit results

The CPD audit has now been completed. 28 registrants passed at the first submission, with 19 registrants being re-audited. Of the 19, 11 re-submitted their evidence and we are pleased to say that all subsequently passed. Unfortunately, eight registrants chose not to re-submit and, as a consequence, have been suspended from the Register. The results of the audit will be published on the RCT website and a report will be emailed to all Registrants in due course. Please remember to keep a record of your activities on mycareerpath®, which is accessed via the IPEM website. This will make it easier for you to collate your information if you are selected for audit next year. If you are not sure of your login details, contact membership@ipem.ac.uk

The Benefits of CPD

CPD is feared and sounds very time consuming, however, by writing a few words a week, reflecting on what you have done or learned, you can easily build up a portfolio showing your development over many years.

By continuingly developing your skills and knowledge you show your employer your level of competency and it can be beneficial for your own career progression.

More importantly, by achieving CPD, you can demonstrate your credibility to patients, visitors and the local community and build their confidence within the service you provide. Further details can be found on the RCT website.

Safeguarding and Whistleblowing

The RCT Management Board encourage registrants to understand, recognise and address safeguarding concerns.  Such concerns must be addressed in a rapid and appropriate manner to prevent or minimise harm and protect the public. You can read the policy here.

Whistleblowing is where a worker (an employee, former employee, trainee, agency worker or member of an organisation) reports a wrongdoing in the public interest. Public interest means the wrongdoing must affect other people, for example the general public. You can read the policy here.

 

Mandatory direct debit payments for renewal fees – reminder

As mentioned in previous updates, the RCT Management Board has made the decision to introduce mandatory payment by direct debit for renewal fees for all registrants in the UK.  This will become the only way to pay from December 2020 for renewals due on 1 January 2021.  We would urge you to complete and return a direct debit mandate now in preparation for renewals due on 1 January 2020. You can pay in 1 annual payment in January or have the amount due split into 12 monthly payments.

Please use this link to access the direct debit application form – no payments will be taken until January 2020.

Online Register – are your details correct?

There are times when your work location may change. It is important to remember that it is your responsibility, as a registrant, to keep your details up to date on the register. Check the online register to ensure your details are correct and if something has changed, send us an email with your new details, so that we can update the register.  If you change your name for any reason (e.g. by deed poll, marriage, divorce etc.), then you need to inform the RCT as soon as possible by way of a certified copy of your change of name/marriage certificate. The copy must be signed by one of your original Proposers or a healthcare professional who is not related to you. Please submit your copy via email.

Recent fitness to practise findings

Two fitness to practise hearings have recently been completed. One resulted in a written reprimand and the other resulted in the registrant being removed from the register. The primary aim of the register is to protect the public and we take this requirement seriously. You can read more about all FTP findings on the RCT website. Details on how to proceed if you have concerns about an RCT registrant can be found here.

Election of Registrar and Assistant Registrar

The Management Board are pleased to announce that by unanimous agreement, the existing Registrar, Iain Threlkeld and the existing Assistant Registrar, Andy Mosson have both been elected for further terms in their posts on the Board.

NEW Scope of practice

We are undertaking a process of introducing a new Clinical Computing scope of practice for the RCT. Work is due to be completed in the near future on the requirements for registration under this new scope and we will then undertake testing, before introducing it for new applicants.  Further information will be released in due course. If you know of anybody in your department who is working in in Clinical Computing (management of computer systems, not software development) and is interested in applying to join the RCT, please ask them to email the RCT for further details on the upcoming pilot.

PSA Re-Accreditation

We are now in the process of applying for re-accreditation with the PSA. This is an annual process and the submission deadline for our application is mid- July. Progress can be followed on the PSA website here.

Work location and scope of practice – information required

There are still a small number of Registrants with no work location or scope of practice held on the RCT website. Please check the online register and if there is information missing against your entry, please advise us of this by email, quoting your CT reference number.

Registrar’s Update March 2019

 

CPD Audit and webinar

We are now approaching the time of year when we carry out the CPD audit. Those who have been selected for audit have now been informed and I would therefore urge everyone to fully engage with the process and get in touch if there are any issues. The RCT has some very useful information on our website here. Please spend some time reading the information as it is there to help you. There are some anonymised submissions from previous CPD audits for information: however, we hope that you are recording your CPD as it has been happening throughout the year.

All submissions must be via the mycareerpath website, as previously mentioned (and see below).

For those preparing for audit, there will be a special webinar to help you on Monday 18th March at 13.30 – to register click here.

Mandatory direct debit payments for renewal fees are coming

At the end of January this year, 132 registrants were lapsed for non-payment of their renewal fees.  This is around 5 percent of registrants.  In the weeks that followed, IPEM staff took around 30 calls from registrants who had not intended to lapse their registration.  Some of these registrants had received all of our email communications but kept getting waylaid by their day-to-day lives and their payment was not made by the deadline.  Other registrants advised they did not receive our emails, despite IPEM not receiving bounce-back messages from their accounts.  The result for these registrants was the same.  There is no process allowed under RCT policy and procedure to reinstate registrants for non-payment unless they have been away from work due to illness since prior to renewal notifications being sent out until after the deadline.  This must be confirmed by a line manager or a head of department.  Unfortunately for these 132 registrants, the only way back on to the Register is to reapply and for some, that means completing an equivalence application with a portfolio because they were grandfathered onto the Register many years ago.

As a result of this, the RCT Management Board has made the decision to introduce mandatory payment by direct debit for renewal fees for all registrants in the UK.  This will become the only way to pay from December 2020 for renewals due on 1 January 2021.  However, we would urge you to complete and return a direct debit mandate now in preparation for renewals due on 1 January 2020.  You may think that forgetting to pay your renewal fees would never happen to you and you may think that your workplace IT server will allow all emails from us through to you, however, it is clear from the number of calls received that this can happen to anyone and the RCT Management Board wish to do everything they can to ensure that registrants aren’t lapsed due to non-payment and then have to go through the time and effort of a re-application, not to mention the cost that incurs.

We sincerely hope you will take up the offer to get your direct debit in place well in advance of the next renewal cycle.  You can pay in 1 annual payment in January or have the amount due split into 12 monthly payments.

Please use this link to access the direct debit application form – no payments will be taken until January 2020.

Online Register – are your details correct?

There are times when your work location may change. It is important to remember that it is your responsibility, as a registrant, to keep your details up to date on the register. Check the online register to ensure your details are correct and if something has changed, send us an email with your new details, so that we can update the register.

Learning from Fitness to Practise Cases

The RCT Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) wants to help all Registrants to work within the Code of Professional Conduct of the RCT, in order to protect the safety of patients and the public. So, we identify the learning points from all Fitness to Practise cases that come before PCC Panels and make these available through the RCT website and the Registrar’s Update. For learning from the latest cases, please click here. On the website you can also read the outcomes of cases and find out about hearings coming up.

New registration category

The Policy on Removal from and Restoration to the RCT has been updated by the RCT Management Board with the introduction of a new registration status category of ‘Inactive’. Any registrant who was previously marked as De-Registered, but left the register in good standing, is now marked as Inactive. Only those who have left the register for negative reasons – i.e. due to non-payment of the renewal fee, removed for failing the CPD audit or for conduct issues, will now be marked as De-Registered.

CPD Activity recording – NEW online recording system

We are delighted to inform members that we have chosen the mycareerpath® online professional development system, designed and managed by the Engineering Council, to plan, evidence and record professional development. The tool, which is compatible with smart phones, tablets, PCs and Macs, is accessed by logging on to the IPEM website, navigating to My IPEM and selecting the mycareerpath® tab from the left-hand menu.

The first time you access mycareerpath® from the IPEM website you will be asked to create an account which is primarily for the purpose of agreeing to GDPR. This only happens once and all subsequent times you click on mycareerpath® you will go straight into the system. When you logout of mycareerpath® you will be directed back to the IPEM website.

mycareerpath® can be used to plan, evidence and record CPD and can also be used to plan, evidence and record progress towards defined competency standards such as the requirements needed to meet the professional registrations of the Engineering Council (EngTech, IEng and CEng) and the Science Council (CSci, RSci and RSciTech) (If you are intending to apply for one of these registrations you need to be a member of a qualifying professional body, i.e. IPEM).

The mycareerpath® system allows you to:

Add profiles

CPD is the default profile and you begin to record your CPD by uploading information to the ‘Evidence’ tab. You can also use the ‘Plan’ tab to set out your CPD aspirations at the beginning of a year.

Self-assess progress

mycareerpath® enables you to self-assess your progress against the individual competencies within a chosen profile.

Create an action plan

mycareerpath® enables you create an action plan.

Record evidence

You can add evidence, including any supporting documentation like certificates, videos and testimonies, to demonstrate that you have developed or increased competence. You can add web links or upload supporting documents. These will remain attached as evidence and reviewers will be able to examine them.

Generate reports

You can generate reports for each profile over a specified period of time. A CPD report assembles a chronological list of all plans and evidence started during the period specified. The competence report assembles a list of plans and evidence from the profile selected that started during the period specified.

Send work for review

Plans, evidence, reports and competence profiles can all be sent for review to any email address. This allows you to demonstrate progress to colleagues, employers, mentors etc. Reviewers will receive an email inviting him/her to view the page in question and add comments. Once a comment is added, the link expires.

Export data to PDF

Plans, evidence and reports in mycareerpath® can be exported and saved in PDF format.

CPD audit 2019

mycareerpath® is being used for the IPEM and RCT annual audit in 2019. If you have been selected for audit for this round (you will already have been informed of this), we ask you to upload your CPD summary to mycareerpath®. Paper submissions are no longer accepted via email or post.

Even members who don’t use mycareerpath® for planning and recording CPD can upload an external CPD record into the system and submit it. It’s quicker and easier than attaching the record to an email.

CPD audit 2020 onwards

You will be able to use mycareerpath® to record your CPD activity in 2019 and seamlessly upload these records if you are selected for audit in 2020.

For further details on mycareerpath, please visit the IPEM website.

Iain Threlkeld

The RCT Registrar

 

Registrar’s CPD Update 2019

Dear RCT Registrant

Continuing Professional Development

It is coming to that time of year when many registrants will be completing their 2018 CPD records and waiting to hear whether they have been randomly selected for audit this year. The results from the CPD audits have been improving year on year since the RCT started to carry these out, however the RCT is always looking to find ways to help.

We now carry out webinars to assist those selected for audit and everyone who took part in these last year, went on to pass the audit. There is also a wealth of information on our website to help anyone keep up to date with their CPD records.

Of course, many of the RCT Management Board are also RCT registrants and may therefore also be randomly selected for audit. However we feel that this isn’t really good enough and as the management board we should really be leading by example. For this reason every member of the RCT management board who is also an RCT registrant, will be self-selecting themselves for audit at some time during the next two years.

As the Registrar however, I feel I should do more. I have therefore submitted my 2018 CPD to Aaron Huckle who is the outgoing chair of the CPD audit panel. Aaron kindly offered to fully audit my CPD so I could publicly share both my CPD and the feedback from the audit with all registrants.

Included in this update therefore are both my CPD summary for 2018 and my CPD audit results:

CPD Summary 2018

CPD audit results January 2019

I am often asked how it is possible to carry out CPD when funding opportunities for training are being reduced in many workplaces. Hopefully my records demonstrate that much of my CPD is not related to actual courses, but is a mixture of learning, some of which may not even have seemed like CPD at the time.

I find the time to maintain records of CPD by placing a monthly reminder in my diary. Once a month I spend around 20 minutes reflecting back on CPD which I have carried out and updating my record. By doing it this way, if I am selected for audit in the future, then I will already have my CPD to hand over without having to retrospectively write anything up.

Can I wish the best of luck to everyone who is selected for audit this year, however as you will have all been keeping up to date with your CPD records, then I am sure luck will play no part in whether you pass the audit.

Iain Threlkeld

The RCT Registrar

 

Registrar’s Update November 2018

 

Welcome to our two new board members

The role of the Registrant representatives is to represent the views of Registrants on the RCT Management Board and contribute to the management of the Register.  Lay members are appointed to provide a wider perspective on healthcare and public protection and are not part of the technologist profession. We are delighted to welcome our new Registrant representative – Carolina Rodrigues and our new Lay member – Sue Bentley. Read their biographies here.

 

Renewals due

Don’t forget that your registration will be due for renewal in January 2019. Emails will be sent out in early December and you can renew as soon as you receive the renewal email. The easiest way to pay is via direct debit. If you would like to switch to direct debit, download an application form and send it in to us as soon as possible.

CPD Audit

The CPD audit has now been finalised and a report will be added to the website and sent out to all Registrants in due course. 83% of Registrants passed the audit this year. Check the CPD page for further details.  Due to increasing standards of CPD submissions the RCT is investigating the possibility of introducing a CPD award for outstanding submissions.

RCT Assessor vacancies

We currently have vacancies for RCT Assessors. If you are registered on the RCT are looking for a new challenge, this is an interesting and varied role to add to your CV and could also count towards your CPD. If you are also an IPEM member and would like to submit an application, please visit the ‘Get Involved’ page on the IPEM website when you are logged into your account, where you will find the role description and generic application form; or see the here for further details.

Some things you may not know about the CPD audit

·       CPD auditors have to self-select for audit within 2 years of joining the CPD Audit Panel

·       IPEM/RCT holds CPD webinars on how to complete the audit documentation

·       Submitting something is better than submitting nothing – you won’t be suspended from the          Register while we help you reach the required standard

·       The Management Board is committed to being audited

·       The RCT Registrar has been audited before

 


Feedback on the CPD audit process
A communication was recently sent to the PSA from the BNMS in respect of our re-accreditation application, whereby an RCT registrant was complementary of the CPD audit process, stating clear instructions were provided, correspondence was fast and to the point, and that they were provided with ‘excellent tools for self-reflective learning.’

Online Register

There are times when your work location may change. It is important that you keep your details up to date. Check the online register to ensure your details are correct and if something has changed, send us an email with your new details, so that we can update our records.

Statutory regulation?

Following the announcement that Physician’s Assistants are to be statutorily registered, the RCT has contacted the HCPC again to see if there is a new opportunity to apply for statutory regulation for clinical technologists.

RCT good practise recognised by the Professional Standards Authority

The RCT Registrar, Iain Threlkeld, has pledged to submit his own CPD portfolio for assessment in 2019, as an example to other Registrants that it is not an impossible task! The plan is that Iain’s submission will be audited ahead of the usual cycle, so that it can be used as an example for other RCT registrants, to give them confidence in completing their own forms if they are selected for audit.  The Professional Standards Authority noted this as an example of good practice for other Accredited Registers to follow, when re-accrediting the RCT this year.

Learning from Fitness to Practise Cases

The RCT Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) wants to help all Registrants to work within the Code of Professional Conduct of the RCT, in order to protect the safety of patients and the public. So we identify the learning points from all Fitness to Practise cases that come before PCC Panels and make these available through the RCT website and the Registrar’s Update. For learning from the latest case, please click here. On the website you can also read the outcomes of cases, and find out about hearings coming up.

Iain Threlkeld

The RCT Registrar

 

Registrar’s Update July 2018

 

Registrant Representative vacancies

The RCT Panel consists of two Registrant representatives.  The role of these individuals is to represent the views of Registrants on the RCT Management Panel and contribute to the management of the Register. This entails attending three RCT Panel meetings in York each year; these being in February, June and October.  Two vacancies have arisen for Registrant representatives and applications for these positions are now invited from RCT Registrants.

If you are an IPEM member would like to submit an application, please visit the ‘Get Involved’ page on the IPEM website when you are logged into your account, where you will find the role description and generic application form, or visit the RCT website.

RCT Career Break & Career Change policy

There have been slight amendments to both of these policies recently. Amended documents have been uploaded to the RCT website and if you wish to submit applications for a career break or career change, please ensure that you read the new versions of the documents. These can be viewed here.

Work location – information required

There are still a small number of Registrants with no work location held on the RCT website. These Registrants were contacted recently and asked to provide this information. If you have been contacted and have not yet responded, please email this information to us on enquiries@therct.org.uk as soon as possible.

Lay Member vacancy

We currently have a vacancy for a lay member to sit on the RCT panel. Lay members are appointed to provide a wider perspective on healthcare and public protection and are not part of the technologist profession. The lay members attend Panel meetings and contribute to all aspects of the Panel’s work. The positions are unremunerated but travel expenses will be paid in line with IPEM’s policy. If you know somebody who has an interest in healthcare and the role of healthcare professionals; are committed to improving the quality of public services; and are keen to work alongside professionals to develop the technologist profession this voluntary role may be for them. Please direct them to the vacancy on the RCT website.

RCT Assessor vacancies

We currently have vacancies for RCT Assessors on the RCT panel. If you are registered on the RCT are looking for a new challenge, this is an interesting and varied role to add to your CV and could also count towards your CPD. If you are an IPEM member and would like to submit an application, please visit the ‘Get Involved’ page on the IPEM website when you are logged into your account, where you will find the role description and generic application form; or see the RCT website.

CPD Audit

The CPD audit is being finalised with 34 registrants being re-audited. Once this process has been completed, the results will be published on the RCT website and a report will be emailed to all Registrants. Please remember to keep a record of your activities on the RCT Detailed Record of CPD Activity form which is available from the RCT website. This will make it easier for you to collate your information if you are selected for audit next year.

Cheques no longer accepted

As of 1st July 2018 we no longer accept cheques as payment for application or renewal fees. As we have many other more convenient ways of payment, we think that this will not impact too much on Registrants. Online payments and direct debits are by far the the preferred method of most Registrants. Processing fees applied by the bank have risen significantly and this method of accepting payment is no longer sustainable.  In addition, the processing time is significant for the amount of cheques received.

RCT Membership Panel name change

The RCT Management Panel is to be renamed the RCT Board to better reflect the level of responsibility the members of the Panel undertake.  It is also a way to distinguish the RCT as having its own board rather than being a Panel of IPEM. The Panel agreed to the name change which would take effect in September at the beginning of the next corporate year.

Iain Threlkeld

The RCT Registrar

Registrar’s Update March 2018

 

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.

RCT leaflet, poster and certificate

Many Registrants’ took up the offer of receiving a free batch of leaflets, posters and departmental certificates when we last offered them. These are still available and if you would like to order some, please email your name and work address (including department) to enquiries@therct.org.uk

RCT Finance Update

We have received a lot of positive feedback from Registrants following the recent Finance Update which was forwarded to registrants in December 2017. Thank you to all those who have taken the time to read it and provide feedback.  If you would like to view the report again, it can be downloaded here.

Untapped Resources: Accredited Registers in the Wider Workforce

There are nearly 80,000 healthcare professionals on accredited registers in the UK, representing a huge workforce with potential to make a significant contributionto promoting and protecting the public’s health. In order to better understand their role in this regard, the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) and the Professional Standards Authority (the Authority) have undertaken a joint project to uncover the ways that accredited registers (AR) occupations are already supporting the public’s health, and explore the factors that may be hampering their further utilisation.

You may have heard about this project and its aims. One of the key recommendations is for registers to consider introducing a health assessment tool which could be used by practitioners with all their new clients. It was felt that such a tool, if used well, could help provide practitioners with the rationale and opportunity for healthy conversations with their patients.

Read the full report here.

Policy on Information and Privacy Policy

The RCT complies with the Data Protection Act 1998, and is preparing to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) which will come into force from May 2018. The information that we publish about you in the online register is your name, registration number, approximate geographical area of practice and the date your registration started.  It is important that you keep the RCT informed of any changes to your personal details so that we are able to keep touch with you; particularly as renewal and audit communications are circulated via email.

We take data protection seriously and do not share your data with third parties. We keep details of your application for the duration of your registration and if you leave the register this is securely held for an additional of two years; after which time it is securely disposed of. You can read the full Policy on Information here, and the Privacy Policy here.

Equivalence Route

We have now had 24 successful applicants through the Equivalence route. If you have new recruits in your department, please encourage them to apply if they are eligible for admission via Equivalence. We are hoping to ask some of our recent candidates to write a case study for the website later this year.

RCT Scope of Practice

We still have a small number of registrants with no Scope of Practice listed. Please check the online register and if you have no Scope listed alongside your details, please inform us of this as soon as possible. Further details on the Scopes can be found via the following link.

Iain Threlkeld

The RCT Registrar

Finance Update

Since becoming the RCT registrar I am often asked the question “What do I get from the RCT for my registration fee?”

The simple answer to this is that the RCT is a register, not a professional body so there are no member benefits such as those which come with IPEM, IHEEM or ART membership.

For some professions, being on a statutory register such as the General Medical Council or the Nursing and Midwifery Council are a legal requirement in order to be able to work. The RCT is of course voluntary, but by being on the register it demonstrates that you are committed to maintaining professional standards and protecting the public. Also many employers do ask that their staff are on the RCT as one of their conditions of employment.

I am of course aware that this only goes part way to answering the question “What do I get from the RCT for my registration fee?” So I thought we should show all registrants some transparency and explain how your £21 will be spent in 2018. It is worth noting that IPEM supported the RCT financially for many years, however it is an important part of the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) accreditation that the Register demonstrates that it can be self-sustaining, so we can no longer reply on IPEM to do this.

This diagram demonstrates how the £21 is divided between the financial commitments of the register.

The largest part of the fee is of course the £13.52 each registrant contributes to the running of the register. This includes such costs as office overheads and the website and online register. However the largest percentage of this is for staff time, which is provided by IPEM but funded by the RCT.

It was not until I became involved with the RCT management panel that I saw how much time and effort the hard working IPEM staff contribute to us. There are roles which are essential such as writing and updating our policies and procedures and also getting us through the annual PSA accreditation. They also have hours and hours of work each year processing renewals and the CPD audit. If registrants were more proactive in returning the CPD reports or were to switch to direct debit payments, this would certainly make the register more efficient.

Moving round the chart, the next segment is the £0.88 spent on management panel costs. The management panel consists of 12 people who meet 3 times per year at the IPEM national office in York to manage the Register. These costs are to cover members’ travelling expenses but the room is provided free by IPEM.  In addition, a small amount is set aside in case management panel members need to travel to attend other meetings such as the annual conference held by the Professional Standards Authority who accredit the Register.

RCT disciplinary panel costs are £0.69 per registrant. All members of the Professional Conduct Committee of the RCT undergo annual training for their role which is held at the IPEM national office; again a room, and the training itself, is provided free by IPEM.  In addition, a small amount is set aside in case disciplinary panel members need to travel to attend hearings.

PSA Fees are the second largest spend at £4.05. This is the cost of annual accreditation by the Professional Standards Authority.

Audit costs – the annual CPD audit involves assessors attending the IPEM national office to assess the CPD summary forms of registrants selected for audit.  The costs relate to those assessors travelling to the CPD audit day held for 2 days in May at the IPEM national office in York; a room is provided free by IPEM. The cost of the annual CPD audit is £0.49 each however a lot of the background work prior to this is carried out by the IPEM office staff and is captured in the running the register percentage.

Application assessments costs at £0.66 include the training of all RCT application assessors for their role. This takes place annually at the IPEM office where again the room is provided free of charge.

Finally promotion and publicity cost each registrant £0.71 a year. This covers the print and design of brochures, leaflets and posters to promote the Register and to educate the public about the RCT’s accredited register as well as about the work done by Clinical Technologists.  In addition, the cost of the certificates sent to new registrants once they have been successful in their application to the Register.

I hope this explains how your annual fees are spent and when these are compared to other voluntary registers it shows the RCT is run very effectively and manages to keep its fees as low as possible.

Iain Threlkeld

The RCT Registrar

Registrar’s Update November 2017

 

CPD Audit

The annual audit of RCT registrants took place in May 2017. A total of 51 RCT registrants were randomly selected for audit. In addition three registrants were pre-selected following the outcome of the last audit, and three self-selected. The full report on the audit can be read here.

The Technician Commitment

Technicians play a crucial role in most types of business. The UK needs thousands more each year to meet demands. ‘Technicians Make it Happen’ is a sector wide initiative being led by the Science Council to that will highlight this. However, to ensure it has an impact, they need your support. We need you to help us inspire more young people to consider this type of work. Further details can be found via the website: http://technicians.org.uk/

Scope of Practice added online

The Scope of Practice for Registrants has now been added to the online Register. We now ask all Registrants to check your entry and inform the RCT Administrator if you see any errors or omissions. If you have moved location and notice this needs updating, please inform us of this as soon as possible. It is a Registrant’s responsibility to keep the RCT up to date of their details at all times.

PSA Re-Accreditation

We are delighted to confirm that the PSA has approved our re-accreditation application for the coming year. There were no concerns raised by the accreditation team and we look forward to the year ahead.

Management panel members

 

We are pleased to report that Dave Easton and Ian Wilde have both been nominated by their respective bodies (IHEEM and ART) to stand for a further term on the management panel.

Management panel meetings

The management panel meeting dates for 2018 are as follows:

Tuesday 13 February 2018

Wednesday 6 June 2018

Thursday 18 October 2018

 

Summary minutes from the October 2017 meeting can now be found on the RCT website.

Professional Conduct Committee

The new professional conduct committee (PCC) are now fully trained and ready to act on behalf of the RCT should any issues which require their input are raised. The management panel would like to thank our new volunteers for taking up this challenging role.

Financial Overview

There is to be a separate financial overview, giving a detailed breakdown on RCT expenditure. This is currently being put together and will be sent to all Registrants when finalised. This should answer any questions you may have about how your fees are spent.

Lapsed registrants status online

All registrants who fail to renew their registration by the deadline of 31st January will show as ‘Lapsed’ on the online Register. This status will remain against the registrants name for a period of 12 months.  After this time the status will change to De-Registered. All registrants who do not renew their registration by the deadline, will be required to submit a new application and pay the appropriate fee if they wish to be admitted back onto the Register. The best way to avoid registration lapsing is to set up a direct debit.

PSA fees under review

PSA fees are currently under review. The RCT has responded to the PSA regarding their proposal for a review of accreditation fees and we are confident that any changes will have minimal impact of the current cost of registration.

Monthly Direct Debits for renewal fees

In 2018 we are introducing the option for RCT registrants to pay their renewal fee by monthly direct debit.  If you do not pay by direct debit at present, or if you already pay by annual direct debit, you will have the option to pay by monthly payments. Email communications have been circulated regarding this, but if you missed this, and would like to pay by monthly direct debit,   please request a form.   If you would rather pay by annual direct debit, download a form.

Iain Threlkeld

The RCT Registrar

CPD logoRegistrar’s Update July 2017

 

CPD Audit

The RCT CPD audit took place on 16 May and 63 registrants (2.5% of the register) were selected for audit.  Of the 63 audited, 16 did not submit any CPD. Of the 47 who did submit, 27 passed and 20 did not pass.  These 20 were required to re-submit and of these 7 did not do so.   Thank you to all those who submitted their CPD for audit. A full report will be circulated in due course.

 

Assistant Registrar

It has been confirmed that Andy Mosson will remain as assistant registrar for a full term of three years from his start date of 1 September 2016 which was initially to be a temporary one year term for consistency and transition purposes. The panel welcomed this decision.

PSA statement on use of Accredited Registers

The Professional Standards Authority has recently released a statement recommending the use of practitioners who are registered on accredited registers only:

‘Accredited registers meet our demanding standards including protecting the public, governance, education and training, risk management and complaints handling.

Practitioners on accredited registers:RCT - Check the Register button - sml

  •  Meet approved levels of education and training and continuing professional development
  •  Sign up to codes of conduct and competence
  •  Are subject to disciplinary procedures if something goes wrong.

Accredited registers provide a safety net. A practitioner who is struck off one accredited register (or by a regulator) may not simply join another accredited register’ Read their full statement here.

You can now check the PSA register for a particular healthcare professional via: www.checkapractitioner.com

Assessor Training

There is an assessor training day planned for September, which is open to our newly appointed assessors and existing assessors, and will give a complete overview of all RCT assessment processes. This will be held in York.

PSA Re-Accreditation ProfessionalStandardsAgency

It is now time to apply for re-accreditation with the PSA. This is an annual process and the deadline for our application is Friday 28th July. Progress can be followed on the PSA website here.

New return from career break notification

A new return from career break notification form has been introduced for all registrants who have returned to work after a career break. This must be submitted to the RCT when you return to work under your original Scope of Practice. If you return to work under a different Scope of Practice, then you will be required to complete the Career Change Notification form. Please see the Career Break policy on the RCT website for full details.

Scopes of Practice for RCT website

As mentioned in the last Registrars update, we are adding the Scope of Practice under which you are registered to the online register. We have been able to add this for many registrants from existing records; however some records remain blank. We have recently contacted all Registrants to ask you to confirm which Scope you are working under. Please respond to this communication as soon as possible, so that the online register can be updated effectively.

Management panel meetingsMinutes

The remaining Meeting planned for 2017 is:

Thursday 19 October 2017, at Fairmount House,

230 Tadcaster Road, York, YO24 1ES.

Summary minutes from the June 2017 meeting can now be found on the RCT website.

Monthly Direct Debits for renewal fees

In 2018 we are introducing the option for RCT registrants to pay their renewal fee by monthly direct debit.  If you do not pay by direct debit at present, or if you already pay by annual direct debit, you will have the option to pay by monthly payments. Email communications will shortly be circulated regarding this, so please keep a look out for the instructions.

Direct Debit

Iain Threlkeld

The RCT Registrar

 

Registrars’ Update March 2017

CPD AuditRCT CPD Types of activities

A reminder that the CPD Audit process begins in March when a random selection of registrants will be identified for this year’s audit. Those who have been selected for audit will be requested to submit their CPD Summary by email within 28 days. To make the process easier, there are forms and guidance notes on the RCT website to help you to do this.  Remember that it is a condition of your registration that you maintain adequate CPD and submit records when requested. This ensures that you remain up to date with current developments and good practice within your profession. You should maintain your CPD records throughout the year, which will be a benefit if you are selected for audit, as it will make the process easier for you. If you would like any advice on the audit, please contact enquiries@therct.org.uk.

Leaflet, poster and departmental certificate

Our leaflet – Information for patients and the public – has recently been updated.

The leaflet providesRCTLeafletpostercert vital information to patients and increases public awareness of the register.   We have also produced a poster and departmental certificate to display alongside them. We would encourage you to request copies for display in your department by emailing enquiries@therct.org.uk.

Scopes of Practice for RCT website

In the coming months we will be introducing a column on the RCT online register to show the Scope of Practice each Registrant is registered under. In order to do this, we will be contacting each Registrant to ask you to confirm which Scope of Practice you are registered under. Please look out for our communication and respond as soon as you can, to enable us to update this functionality effectively.

Overseas Applicants

We encourage applications from those who have trained and worked overseas and are now working in the UK, and the launch of the Equivalence Routes directly supports such applicants. Equivalence is intended as a route to registration for anyone who is working within one of the RCT scopes of practice and does not have access to either of the primary routes to registration. Anyone who has a relevant qualification and can demonstrate they meet the equivalence criteria can apply to join the RCT via this route.

Career Break and Career Change

You should be aware that you must inform the RCT management panel when you intend to take a career break. A career break involves a registrant taking an extended period of unpaid time away from their work and returning to work in the same Scope of Practice.  You must also tell us if you are intending to make a career change. A career change involves a registrant taking time away from their current Scope of Practice to undertake further training and development (which may be paid or unpaid), before returning to work in a different Scope of Practice. To notify us of your intention to take a career break or undertake a career change, please read the policy on the RCT website before completing the notification form, at least 1 month before the proposed start date of the career break or career change and sending it to us.

Direct DebitsDirect Debit

After the annual renewal process this year, some registrants were removed from the register for non-payment. This may be because of forgetfulness; however setting up a direct debit would avoid this! You can set up a direct debit at any time – the application form is available from the RCT website.  Just complete and email or post this back to us.

Equivalence Assessors – Your chance to volunteer

The equivalence route for registration is an area which is expanding and we are looking to add to our team of assessors to cover future needs. If you believe that you have the skills to assess technical portfolios we would love to hear from you.  We are planning a training day for new and existing assessors soon, so if you would like to get involved this is the perfect time. Please email us a copy of your CV and we will be in touch soon.

Management panel meetings

people around a tableMeetings planned for 2017 are:

Tuesday 6 June 2017, at Fairmount House, 230 Tadcaster Road, York, YO24 1ES

Thursday 19 October 2017, at Fairmount House, 230 Tadcaster Road, York, YO24 1ES

Summary minutes from the February 2017 meeting can now be found on the RCT website.

Iain Threlkeld

The RCT Registrar

Registrar’s Update November 2016

 

Iain Threlkeld

Iain Threlkeld

NEW RCT Registrar

Andy Mosson

Andy Mosson

RCT Registrar, Andy Mosson, recently stepped down from the role after three years in post. He has steered the RCT through some major changes over the last few years and the RCT management panel is extremely grateful for all of his hard work and dedication.  In accordance with its Terms of Reference, the management panel has voted to elect a new Registrar from amongst its members, and the outcome is that I have been elected to that role, having previously been Assistant Registrar and before that, one of the IHEEM representatives. I am very much looking forward to taking on this role and continuing the excellent work undertaken by my predecessor.   Andy has kindly agreed to stand for election as Assistant Registrar, thus providing a continuity of knowledge whilst the changes take place, and he was subsequently elected to this position by the panel.     Iain Threlkeld

Updated RCT CPD Policy

The RCT policy on Continued Professional Development has recently been updated and is available to download from the RCT website. Please ensure that you read the policy as it applies to all CPD activity from 2016 onwards. In particular there are penalties for not producing CPD evidence when requested to do so at audit – with removal from the Register being the most severe. We want to help you to be successful with your CPD audit, so please do submit your portfolio when asked: this gives you time to get help and support for a re-submission if necessary, and avoids the most severe penalties.

Renewal fees for 2017

The annual renewal fee for 2017 will be £18.00, an increase of only 50p. The increase has been kept to a minimum, but is necessary to cover costs incurred by implementing the CPD audit, renewing PSA accreditation and increasing general costs.

Direct DebitApplication fees have not been increased.

Please remember that you can set up a direct debit to take the worry out of having to remember to pay your fees!

NEW RCT post-nominal for use by registrants

Being on the PSA-accredited Register of Clinical Technologists is a personal achievement and an indication of professional standing, which deserves recognition by employers and patients. With the permission of the PSA,  the management panel has agreed that Registrants can now use the post nominal letters ‘RCT’ to signify that they are on the Register.  All Registrants can now use ‘RCT’ after their name for the duration of their registration. Should your registration lapse through non-payment, or if you are removed from the Register for disciplinary reasons, then you must cease using the post-nominal letters immediately.

PSA Re-Accreditation

We are extremely pleased to report that we were successful in gaining PSA re-accreditation for another year. We were deemed to have met the PSA’s standards for re-accreditation for a second year. The Register was praised by the PSA for the work undertaken in its first year as an Accredited Register.

The whole process begins again next March for re-accreditation in September 2017.

New Panel Members

ian-wilde

Ian Wilde

We have recently welcomed two new members to the RCT management panel.

Shaun Lundy

Shaun Lundy

Ian Wilde is the Technical Service Manager at the Manchester Royal Infirmary dialysis unit and he joins us as a representative of the Association of Renal Technologists.

Shaun Lundy is Clinical Engineering Team Leader at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. He is a Member of IHEEM, registered with the RCT and also with the Engineering Council as an Engineering Technician. He is the panel’s second IHEEM representative.

We would like to extend a warm welcome to both and look forward to their valuable input into the RCT panel.

Iain Threlkeld

The RCT Registrar

Registrar’s Update August 2016

 

Technologist registration – hot topic at IPEM’s Annual Conference (MPEC)

This conference is held every year and this year it’s in Manchester from 12 – 14 September. There is a technologist skills session from 14.45 – 15.45 on Monday 12 September. The session is called ‘Registration – the best way to recognise technologists’ skills?’ and Elaine Buckley, Chair of the HCPC, Registrar of the RCT, Andy Mosson, plus a representative from the PSA will be attending to talk about registration. We expect this to be an extremely interesting session for all technologists, whether they are registered on the RCT or not, as they will all have a view about whether technologists should be registered at all, and if so, whether with this should be with the HCPC. The session is a chance for them to hear from, and debate with, the key people from the RCT, the HCPC and the PSA, all in one room. You can find full details of the programme here: http://www.ipem.ac.uk/ConferencesEvents/MPEC.aspx. If you are attending the conference, be sure to attend this session! (Sorry, places on this free members’ day are fully booked!).

Save money on tax

IPEM appears on ‘list 3’ (the list of professional bodies approved for tax relief on subscriptions and professional fees) and, therefore, RCT registrants can claim tax relief on their RCT subscriptions under the IPEM banner if they meet the required criteria set out by HMRC.Tax logo

Andy Iles stepping down from post 

Andy Iles

Iain Threlkeld

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the longest serving members of the Management Panel and the current Assistant Registrar, Andy Iles has recently stepped down from his post after his retirement. We would like to sincerely thank him for all of his hard work and dedication to the role over the many years he has worked with us.  Taking over the role of Assistant Registrar is Iain Threlkeld, who has been an IHEEM representative member on the Management Panel and one of the main contributors to the development of the Equivalence Routes. We will be seeking a new IHEEM rep to replace Iain.IHEEM

PSA Re-Accreditation

The RCT’s Professional Standards Authority accreditation is due for renewal and the application has recently been submitted. The re-accreditation process should be complete in September. We will inform you of the outcome of the assessment as soon as possible.

In other news, the PSA has welcomed a new Chair, George Jenkins OBE, who replaces Baroness Jill Pitkeathley, who has recently stepped down after eight years in post.

Reform of Health Regulators – Minister’s statement

Former Junior Health Minister Ben Gummer MP said in December 2015: ‘The Government remains committed to reform of the regulation of health and (in England) social care professionals. The Government is grateful for the work of the Law Commissions of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in making recommendations and has been considering how best to take these forward.

Our priorities for reform in this area are better regulation, autonomy and cost-effectiveness while maintaining and improving our focus on public protection. We intend to consult on how these priorities can be taken forward, taking account of the Law Commissions’ work on simplification and consistency and building on the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care’s paper Rethinking regulation published in August 2015. We will present proposals that give the regulators the flexibility they need to respond to new challenges in the future without the need for further primary legislation.

We recognise the need for some immediate reform in this area. Subject to Parliamentary time we plan to take forward reforms to regulators’ rule-making process and the way that the larger regulators deal with concerns about their registrants. This will improve accountability and make the system more efficient and effective. This Government remains committed to the principle of proportionate regulation of healthcare professionals in this regard.’

The Impact of Brexit

The Professional Standards Authority has recently advised that due to the impact of the Brexit vote, the work on legislative reform of healthcare regulation, and the potential inclusion of new professions, may not be seen as a priority and may therefore not proceed at this time. Further discussions will take place between the RCT, PSA and other involved parties to try and push forward with this issue.Brexit logo

CPD Audit

The CPD audit has now been completed, with 23 registrants being requested to re-submit their return due to an unsatisfactory first submission. The final results are currently being analysed; however while there are no sanctions this time for those who do not submit or who fail to pass their audit; this will not be the case from next year. Please keep an eye on the RCT website for further updates.CPD logo

RCT Leaflet, poster & certificate

A new RCT leaflet has now been launched which aims to inform patients and increase the public awareness of the Register.  Promoting the valuable work of registrants and the standards which you have met is vital for public protection.  We would encourage you to request copies for display in your department by emailing enquiries@therct.org.uk.

In addition to the leaflets we have had a poster and Departmental certificate designed to display alongside them. These can also be requested by email at the above address.

RCT information for patients and the public leaflet_Page_1

Andy Mosson

The RCT Registrar

Registrar’s Update March 2016      

New registrant representatives

Thank you to those of you who took part in the ballot to elect two new registrant representatives to the RCT’s management panel this year. It was pleasing to note that 30% of registrants voted in the ballot (previously this had been 16%). The management panel makes all the important decisions about the running of the register so it is important that you have your say in who represents you on it.

I am sure you will join me in welcoming to the management panel your chosen registrant representatives:

Elizabeth Crawford is a specialist technologist within the radiological physics department of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and is keen to see entry routes into all technologist professions clarified so that new starters can identify a clear career path and, ultimately, work towards registration as a respected and recognised member of the healthcare science community.

David Donohue is a chief clinical technologist at South Tyneside Hospital. The clinical technologist profession is important to David and he believes a strong professional organisation and regulation is important for growth, development and security.

We were also delighted to welcome Rosemary Anderton and Phil Goddard, our two lay representatives, to their first meeting of the management panel in February.

RCT registrar’s update 2016

Did you know that you can check your registration details on the RCT register? Click view the register and type in your surname or registration number. If you have moved work location and would like this amended please send an email to enquiries@therct.org.uk.

New Fitness to Practise procedure updated

The former disciplinary procedure has been updated and renamed the Fitness to Practise procedure to take account of issues which may be reported to the RCT involving either a registrant’s health (which is not a disciplinary issue) or his/her conduct (which may be).  The other main changes that have taken place involve the decision to make hearings routinely open to the public (which is usual practice for statutory registers); changes to the composition of the appeals panel; and clarification of the process for handling potential complaints that come to light via news or social media sources rather than by individual complaints.

The revised Fitness to Practise procedure which was approved by the RCT management panel at its February meeting can be found on the RCT website.

New equivalence route – physics

The physics standards for the equivalence route have now been finalised and a pilot is underway. Once the pilot has been completed, the route will be formally launched and the relevant information will be added to the RCT website. If you think that you may be eligible to apply via the physics equivalence route and would like us to contact you once the route is launched please email enquiries@therct.org.uk with your name, email address, telephone number, work location and the Scope of Practice you are working under.

Help with your CPD

All registrants are required to keep up to date with their CPD and be able to demonstrate that they are doing so. Further information has been added to the RCT website to help you to maintain your CPD record. This information includes potential CPD activities together with example submissions from a rehabilitation engineer, radiotherapy technologist and a nuclear medicine technologist to help you prepare your own portfolio. This year’s CPD audit takes place in May and we will be contacting a random sample of registrants in March to ask for a summary of their CPD record.

Publicising YOUR register

Don’t forget you can put under your email signature that you are a member of an accredited register together with this logo:

RTC PSA Logo Approved

We also have a leaflet available for you to put out in your department to let patients know about the RCT.  Please email enquiries@therct.org.uk if you would like us to send you some hard copies. If you have already requested copies and have not yet received them please be assured that they will be with you as soon as possible.

Equivalence assessors required

The equivalence route for registration is an area where we are expecting growth and we are looking to expand the team of assessors to cover future needs. If you believe that you have the skills to assess technical portfolios we would like to hear from you.  We are planning a training day for new and existing assessors in Q2 of 2016.

CPD Aasessors required

Would you like to get involved in the Register of Clinical Technologists and do you have an interest in continuing professional development? We are looking to expand the assessor pool this year and it is a great opportunity to expand your own professional development.  Please do get in touch if this is something that you feel would be beneficial.  It is likely that training will take place on 17 or 18 May 2016 with the opportunity to include assessment.People

New registration status explained

A new field has been added to the register to provide the public with further assurance of your registration status and to bring the register in line with other voluntary and statutory registers.   The status fields are:

–      Registered – this means that the registrant is currently registered with no current finding or cautions

–      Registered finding – this means that the registrant has had been found to have a minor concern within the last five years

–      Registered caution – this means that the registrant has had a written reprimand placed on them within the last five years

–      Deregistered suspension conduct – this means that the registrant has been temporarily suspended due to a conduct related issue

–      Deregistered suspension health – this means that the registrant has been temporarily suspended due to a health related issue

–      Deregistered – this means that the registrant has been expelled from the register.

Where there has been a Fitness to Practise (previously called ‘disciplinary’) hearing involving a registrant a summary of the case will appear on the website in line with best practice of other voluntary and statutory registers and there will be a link from the register page to this page. This is so that the public can be assured that the individual has been appropriately investigated in order to protect patient safety and can see why they have been cautioned or deregistered.

RCT management panel meeting minutes

MinutesThe summary minutes of the RCT MP held on 10 February 2016 are available via the RCT website. This enables registrants to keep up with the discussions and decisions being made on their behalf.

Career break policy

The career break policy has been developed to enable registrants to take an extended period of unpaid time away from work in order to balance their career with other commitments, responsibilities and interest.

Registrants who are planning to take a career break are required to notify the registrar and will be removed upon commencement of their break. If you are taking a career break, please complete the relevant form which is available on the RCT website and forward this to the registrar at least one month prior to the commencement of your career break. The full policy can be found here.

Andy Mosson

The RCT Registrar


The Register of Clinical Technologists