Dear Trevor, Ralph, Akbal and others

I think that you will find that so few people have joined the debate because
many are still confused.  I have been sitting here for the past four days
thinking that I should contribute and not being sure how to be constructive.
So here are my thoughts, confused though they might be, though much of it has
been said by others already :

I agree that the way forward for the profession would be a separate act.
These have been my thoughts in the twelve years since I qualified when
similar debates were also going on and I believe that if it were possible to
achieve this it would be well on its way by now.  So I too ticked the
"suicide" boxes, because if there is any way that this can happen then I
believe we should fight for it.  The SCP council have surely explored this
avenue over the years and it would be unreasonable to imply that they are not
looking out for our best interests.

I don't believe a vote of no confidence is in our best interests especially
at this particularly crucial time.  Even if we do not agree with individual
members of council, there needs to be continuity.  Can you imagine the chaos
if new members suddenly had to take up this mantle ?  It would definitely do
much more harm than good.  I don't care to underestimate the work that is
being done and the council members should be respected for their commitment
to us.  I couldn't take it on.

But here are a couple of hypothetical questions :  What would the situation
be if everyone refused to register under the new HPC ?  Would we suddenly
lose all the NHS chiropody/podiatry posts ?  Would there suddenly be no
regulation over chiropodist/podiatrists both those-previously-SRCh and
those-never-SRCh ?  How long would that situation be allowed to continue ?
Would not all chiropodists suddenly need regulating under some kind of Act ?
Perhaps silly questions, but it does show things from a different angle.  Of
course, we would never be able to force such issues in this way because we
would never be unified enough to see it through.

So, I say this.  Let the council know how you feel.  Make sure that your
friends and colleagues return the questionnaire, whatever you think of the
way it is written, and let the council get on and do the best for us that can
possibly be done.

Debbie Delves
Dulwich Chiropody Surgery

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