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So you think the grand-parenting fiasco was bad for the profession in Britain, huh? Okay, I suggest you sit down and take a long, slow swig from your favourite soporific and neck a couple of diazepam whilst you're at it. Now read on...

Whereas it was regrettable (for both the registered and unregistered sectors) that the HPC decided to forgo any baseline standard for entry onto the register during the grand-parenting period, much, much worse may yet follow.

On 4 October 2000, the Swedish Metalworkers' Union (Svenska Metallindustriarbetareförbundet, Metall) became the first trade union to present its pay claims for the forthcoming collective bargaining round in early 2001.

They were cooperating with seven other trade unions operating in the industry sector over the bargaining round. This followed on from the 1997 agreement on cooperation and bargaining in industry, updated in October 1999. The eight trade unions, from the metalworkers to the civil engineers, formed a joint platform, in that they will adhere to a common framework in drawing up claims and supporting each other in bargaining rounds in years ahead.

Remember that phrase – joint platform. You’re going to be hearing a lot more of that in the years ahead.

Under the EU Working Time Directive if unions in seven of the EU countries so decide, that their interest would be best served by forming a common or joint platform, then if they did, they would effectively control the regulatory and legislative process for the workforce represented by similar unions across the European Union. There is growing concern in parliament over the implications of such a policy; and with good reason. Many of the ‘third division’ countries view this as a convenient route to facilitating migration to exploit prosperous markets. Although Metall’s move was to strengthen pay-bargaining, some unions are forming alliances to weaken trade barriers in regulated markets. Health is one such market.

Even with all its faults, Britain’s podiatric community is probably amongst the top five in the world in terms of education, training and establishment. The profession in many other countries, especially those from the emerging eastern-bloc is not so fortunate. Yet if just seven of these countries form a joint platform on podology then EU law would dictate that we follow suit. That means parity for registration and regulation.

It’s not the protégées from Maidstone we should be concerned about.

There’s not a lot of lil’ sisters in Moldavia.

Does anyone know the FIP position on this?

What say you lot?

One observation I have following what is going in on the UK is that I am glad that I am here

~>30 or so years ago Australia and New Zealand took a different path to the UK. Back then, here, EVERYONE who wanted to call themselves a chiropodist (qualified to or not), or, I think, who was making a living from it was automatically given state registration - ie EVERONE was grandparented. After then, you needed the 3yr diploma (now a 3 or 4yr degree) to get state registered - if you were doing anything remotly close to chiropody back then (podiatry now) after the registration came in, you HAD to be registered....unless grandparented you needed the 3yrs. ie no non-registered sector exists or existed.....

The UK only gave state registration to those who had the appropriate qualification --> non-state registered sector in the UK and has the mess it has today.

Here, it was just a matter of waiting for all the non-qualifed to grow old and retire --> now its not an issue (they have all gone). Its still an issue in the UK as they chose not to "bite the bullet" all those years ago when they had the chance and are paying for that decison now. If that means "biting the bullet" now, so be it (which is really what appears to me is sort of happening)

Those in the profession in Australia and NZ owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who did "bite the bullet" all those years ago to give us what we have now, that the UK does not have. I can ony guess that the 'anguish' in the UK that is happening now might have happened here all those years ago --- if that is the case, then I have even greater respect for those you pushed through that decision all that time ago.

Maybe the UK needs to learn from the experience ... ie "bite the bullet"... admit everyone (Uni qualified or not) .... restrict future admission to those with >than the 3yr degree .... wait for those without it to grow old and retire .... simple

__________________
Craig Payne
Department of Podiatry
La Trobe University
Melbourne, Australia
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/podiatry
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________
God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things - right now I am so far behind, I will never die.
The views expressed above are those of the author and not that of La Trobe University
This is where I am, where are you?

Hello Craig

The problem is that the UK did 'bite that bullet' forty odd years ago. Then, as now, the government decided to grandparent unregistered practitioners onto the register, only all those years ago, unregistered practitioners had to undergo some basic test of competency. Not so today.

And I guess that if the present day's exercise was the end of the matter, like your forefathers in Oz experienced, then we would 'bite the bullet' too, for the end result would be worth it. Unfortunately that is not the case in the UK today. Already we see the emergence of more 'courses' with alternative titles - Foot Health Practitioners being just one - which circumvent the legislation and supplement the market with unregulated and unregistered practitioners. We haven't closed the door as tightly as you did hence we are diluting the professional base without any forseeable gain. The primary thrust of the argument against current legislation is not to frustrate the grandparented clinician; it is to protect the future podiatrist from similar circumstance.

If it weren't for the crap beer I'd be looking for a practice in Tasmania right now. If only it were that simple!

Kind regards

Mark Russell

Mark,

Cascade Brewery (for Cascade Premium Larger) did win an international beer award not that long ago, as did Boag's Brewery. Both well established Tasmanian Beers, drunk quite liberally on the mainland

Steve :)

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Stephen Tucker
Eastern Health
Podiatry Manager

My location

Hi Mark,

The title of chiropodist/podiatrist is already protected and from July 2005 the grandparenting process will have finished. So after this all new pods will need a BSc, and given time (say 3 years) the grandparenting process will seem less controversial.
FHP's cannot practise under the title of chiropodist, and even they may eventually be held accountable under the auspices of the HPC as they have the power to protect any title they see fit.
The point is, things are better now than a few years' ago, although I am not saying they are perfect.

Cheers,
Graeme.

Hi Steve

I've heard of Cascade so there reamins a possibility. But tell me; is there any beers that aren't drunk liberally on the mainland??

Cheers

Mark Russell