There is a statutory scheme for dispensing opticians and optometrists who wish to maintain registration with the General Optical Council. The scheme runs in 3-year periods, and the current 3-year period will end on 31st December 2012. All dispensing opticians and optometrists will have to gain 36 CET credits by December 2012, for continued registration. There are specialty lists, including a specialty contact lens list for dispensing opticians who are also contact lens opticians. To continue to practise as a contact lens optician, an additional 18 contact lens CET credits must be gained by December 2012. At the end of 2012, all credit records will be reset to zero, to begin the next period on 1st January 2013. There are different requirements for those who join or rejoin the GOC Register during the 3-year period, for example for newly-qualified DOs. The Principles and Requirements and the Statutory Scheme Rules are available on the cetoptics and GOC websites.

ABDO intend to offer enough CET, as part of the membership fee, to fulfil the GOC requirement, via distance learning and Area CET events, as well as some e-learning initiatives.

Register now at WWW.CETOPTICS.COM to manage your CET record, and confirm any pending points. This is the website that the GOC and Vantage Technologies have set up to administer CET. Although it can be accessed via a link from the ABDO website, it is managed independently, including a 'Contact Us' section for queries.

If you are re-registering with the GOC after a period of absence, the ABDO Bookshop stocks a 'Re-registration Pack' with all the CET points and information you will need to re-register.

In addition to the guidance below, you are advised to consult the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section of WWW.CETOPTICS.COM.

Members are advised to keep a personal summary of CET points gained in 2010. If you would like an ABDO CET Personal points summary 2010 form you can download it from here. Or email the CET Office or telephone 01621 890202 and one will be sent to you.

There is no requirement for CET credits in order to remain a member of ABDO, and to continue to use affixes related to qualifications through ABDO. Almost all CET provided by ABDO is also approved for optometrist CET credits, so ABDO Associate membership is advantageous for optometrists (£100 per year).

If you are an optometrist and not an ABDO member, entries for Dispensing Optics CET will not be marked and will be returned to you, as ABDO members pay for this CET via their subscriptions. You may also be charged a small fee if you attend ABDO evening meetings, and will not be entitled to the concessionary fees at all-day events and at the annual CET weekend.

If you register as an optometrist part-way through the 3-year period, none of your 'DO' points will count towards the optometrist CET requirement. However, the points requirement is reduced depending on when you join the GOC Register as an optometrist.