Essential AMTRA from Stephen Dawson, the new Secretary General

AMTRA news

SQP renewals
Thank you to all SQPs and employers who’ve paid their annual renewal fee on time. Although the large majority who’ve used the new website have done so without problems, I know that some of you did have difficulties, particularly with the convoluted passwords. I’m sorry if you did have problems: we will try to learn to make things smoother for next time. If you are having trouble, please try copying the password from the email and pasting it into the website, rather than trying to type it in.

Nevertheless, the largely paperless renewal exercise has reduced work for most companies and for the AMTRA office, which is why we were able to reduce fees for most of you despite general inflationary pressures.

We will send a further renewal invitation in early December by post. Anyone not paying by the end of the year will not be on the SQP register. Those not on the 2012 SQP Register who continue to act as SQPs would be doing so illegally.

CPD
I hope that the online access to your CPD points information will prove useful, as will the ability to update your contact details online. You can do that at any time, not just during the renewals period, and can request a new password online if you lose your old one.

The current CPD period runs until 30th June, 2013, but please don’t leave it until the last minute to gain your minimum CPD points.

AMTRA will be running a series of events in association with AHDA from February to April. As well as some valuable animal health content, we also plan to bring a change of pace with a very worthwhile session on managing interactions with your customers in the store or practice, something which we hope will be of interest and value to all SQPs. We’ll send you all more details shortly.

While we sometimes send out CPD information by post, we also use email for some events, so do make sure we have an up-to-date email address that will reach you personally. Don’t forget that the quizzes in OvertheCounter magazine are generally worth two points each – some of the previous editions are on their website, www.overthecounter.cc

Farm animal and equine SQPs can gain points by doing the NADIS quizzes in the email we send out monthly. The AMTRA website (www.amtra.org.uk) is worth keeping an eye on for details of open CPD events.

Stephen Dawson