All Regional teaching dates are available on PaedsHub.

Please follow the link below;

 https://paedshub.co.uk/

Dear Colleague

As we prepare for the impact of COVID 19 a number of queries have come to us with regards to HEE’s approach to study leave. Please be advised that the position is as follows:

Impact of Coronavirus On Study Leave for Doctors in Training

Trainees should endeavour to obtain a refund for any pre-booked expenses. If they unable to do so we will honour the claim, but they should provide evidence when they submit their claim that the expense was non-refundable.

All requests for study leave time not taken during the outbreak will be properly considered by the employers and Postgraduate deans and will be subject to the need to maintain NHS services, and training requirements for completion of programmes.

We are asking all parties to be flexible both during and after this difficult time.

HEE will be developing a set of FAQs to help manage the queries that are arising.

If there are unresolved queries please contact us via Study Leave (SW); StudyLeave.SW@hee.nhs.uk for our Postgraduate Dean to review.

All simulation courses run out of BMSC and Southmead will be postponed until further notice. The training space at both UHB and Southmead are needed for COVID-19 related training.

We have just been advised by Paediatric Head of school that the ST6-8 teaching day on Friday, 13^th March 2020 is no longer face to face with regards to COVID-19, please do not turn up to UHB education centre.

Updated details will be on Paediatrics website how we are going to delivery the training session.

Find out more and access the NETS Communications Toolkit by visiting: www.hee.nhs.uk/NETS.

Please follow the link for an animation providing a short & simple guide for trainees and trainers on how the ARCP process works.

https://specialtytraining.hee.nhs.uk/arcp

Thank you to those of you who gave feedback. We really appreciate and take note of your comments. Below is how we have used the feedback you have given to make changes or continue good areas of practice.

Subjects Covered

You said: Last years teaching had more variation than previous years and people would like this to continue. Some people would like the focus to be on things not commonly encountered in clinical work such as ENT and Dermatology.

Response: The teaching is broadly organised into 2-year cycles. We have continued to work with the same 2-year plan so that people do not get the same teaching twice. We will try to continue this variation. Dermatology and ENT were covered last year but we shall consider other similar areas.

Curriculum

You said: Uncertain about how the teaching mapped to the old curriculum with further uncertainty about how it will integrate with progress. There was some concern that speciality based teaching would be lost.

Response: We have mapped the old curriculum to PROGRESS and have ensured this fits with the teaching schedule. We have provided resources to enable the new curriculum to be addressed for all topics and provided guidance on how to do this. We have also offered support to teachers if concerns or queries arise.

Locations/logistics

You said: Prefer deanery house location as getting into the centre of Bristol difficult.

Response: We have tried to book all Bristol teaching at Deanery house and have done so well in advance to ensure this. Very occasionally it may have to be in other locations, particularly if fully booked. Exeter Bristol difficulties: split approx 60/40 Bristol/Exeter based on trainee numbers in each.

You said: You would rather the study budget continues to be used to provide lunch at remote locations such as Deanery House, Bristol.

Response: We shall do this where possible. Please do sign up online to give numbers for catering.

Advertising of Teaching Days

You said: You’d like to know the timetable and topics well in advance and understandably find it difficult when things change last minute.

Response:

-          We apologise that one session did change last minute last year. It can be tricky to coordinate location (Bristol vs Exeter), room bookings and speakers. Occasionally these things do change last minute.

-          As soon as the timetable is finalised we shall let you know. Often this is difficult and things do change last minute. We know the dates from quite far in advance but topics and teachers are more difficult to finalise and apologise as it is not as easy to give you notice of this well in advance. However, we shall try to keep you as updated as possible once we know.

-          We have continued to arrange alternate Tuesday/Thursday dates so that those who work less than full time have fair opportunities to attend.

You said: The Whatssap was the main way that people found out about teaching (76%), followed by the deanery website.

Response:

-          We shall contact people via multiple resources to make sure people know about teaching in a way that works for them. Trello was one of the least used options but once up and running works very well.

-          We have tried to make sure all people have access to the whatsapp group by sending out a link to join on several occasions.

-          The peninsula facebook group has been closed as to not complicate things. The severn trainees facebook group is used for other things and so will continue to post reminders here also.

Worried how you would manage a paediatric mass casualty incidents?

* Worried about the signs of post-traumatic stress in you or a colleague?

* Want to know more about non-accidental injury and trauma?

Well, we have the conference for you! David Hanna and I are chairing the paediatric major trauma session at the upcoming TraumaCare 2018 conference in April. We have put together a fascinating lineup of talks covering a wide range of topics relating to paediatric major trauma.

The Traumacare 2018 conference is taking place between 15th-18th April 2018 and the paediatric major trauma programme is on Tuesday 17th April. The venue is Yarnfield Park Conference Centre, Stone,Staffordshire, ST15 0NL. 09:00-17:00. Tickets are available on the Traumacare website.

Highlights:

* Consultants from Manchester Children’s ED explain what their team have learnt from managing paediatric mass trauma and how they completely adapted their trauma imaging guidelines

* EMRTS, the “Welsh Flying Medics” discuss the challenges of paediatric primary retrieval.

* Dr Ffion Davies from Leicester Children’s Hospital, delves into the challenging area of non-accidental injury and major trauma in children.

* Dr Giles Haythornthwaite presents a fascinating case of traumatic aortic transection and how it was managed at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

* Dr Rachel Sunley talks about TRiM, a new scheme of peer support to teams managing major paediatric trauma. We also have paediatric major trauma imaging workshop. It’s going to be great so book your tickets now.

Hope to see you there,

David Hanna and Duncan Courtney

Severn Postgraduate School of Paediatrics – January 2018 Newsletter The Progress Edition

Happy new year!

Ok, it’s over a month late, but the sentiment is genuine. While the initial excitement of New Year resolutions may be fading, I hope you’re all making progress towards your personal goals for 2018. One of my aims is to further develop our sense of collegiality as a school. Continuously improving the experience and outcomes of paediatric training in Severn will benefit us all; together we can make the difference.

• Changes call for innovation, and innovation leads to progress  Li Keqiang

The deanery support team for paediatrics has reduced in size and is coming to terms with a broader range of responsibilities. We are lucky to have kept Susan as education and programme manager but sadly Karen has moved across to a different department. I certainly miss her regular weekly bulletin keeping us up to speed with what’s going on (and not just the cartoons). While I can’t promise the frequency or entertainment value that Karen achieved, I will try to get back to regular email updates. I hope we can find other ways to connect too – any suggestions are more than welcome. The Peninsula trainees have set up a Trello page (trello.com) – a bit like an online gated social community, with access by invitation. Is that something we’d like to replicate or join in Severn? Please send your thoughts and ideas to me or your trainee reps for the next board meeting.

• Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity            Thor Heyerdahl

The big event of this year will be the launch of ‘RCPCH Progress’ – the new curriculum for paediatric postgraduate training. It is one of the first to be approved by the GMC to meet its new standards. Contrary to what Thor might say, Progress promises to be a positive change – focusing more on global learning outcomes and generic capabilities than long lists of competences to tick off. To find out more, visit the webpage atwww.rcpch.ac.uk/progress  The college is planning events this year to help trainees, supervisors and tutors prepare for the transition. Unless your CCT date is before the 15^th September 2019, you will move to the new curriculum in August this year, so do make some time to find out about it.

• Changes and progress very rarely are gifts from above. They come out of struggles from below.             Noam Chomsky

• Message from David Hanna:

We have just finalised the line-up for 2018 Traumacare conference in Staffordshire. The paediatric trauma day is on 17th April and we have brought together a panel of experienced paediatricians and emergency physicians alongside experts in paediatric trauma and primary retrieval. These include senior members of the team from Manchester Children's Hospital who managed multiple paediatric casualties in the aftermath of the Ariana Grande concert bombing in May 2017.

We have designed the programme for physicians, nurses and allied health professionals who work in acute paediatrics and emergency services. It would also be ideal for paediatric trainees, particularly those with an interest in paediatric emergency medicine or who plan to apply to do grid PEM/PICU training.

https://www.traumacare.org.uk/event-2767838

Developing Effective Clinician Leaders  https://www.keele.ac.uk/cml/

- You will have heard or read about the recent High Court decision about Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba. I guess we all feel a great deal of empathy with her and recognise the pressures she was working under. Many of you will be thinking about whether or how this should change your practice now. What should you do if overstretched at work due to acute sickness or staff shortage? DMEs and medical directors are likely to give trust specific guidance soon. For now, do you know where to access your department’s escalation policy? Who would you contact if you needed to raise immediate concerns? Check with your educational supervisor if not sure.

The second thing to consider is how to record reflection. There was some misreporting about how reflective accounts were used in Dr Bawa-Garba’s case, which has recently been clarified. Misrepresentation aside, I completely understand the fear that reflection might be used ‘against’ us. Most of us reflect in some way or another as a part of experiential learning, and we are professionally obliged to reflect on our performance and values. For some this comes naturally as an explicit written process, for others it will be an internal conversation that can be much harder or even artificial to write down. The point of reflection in the portfolio is to identify the learning, rather than produce a detailed descriptive account of the event leading to the learning. My advice for now would be to focus on the outcomes of reflection for your portfolio, rather than the details of the event. Anonymise the situation as far as possible, particularly references to specific identifiable patients, family members and other healthcare professionals. You may have to produce separate, more factual summaries for any incident review process. Remember to talk to your educational supervisor, clinical tutor or others for support and advice. The wider school team is here for you too. We shouldn’t let this stop us using reflection as a way of converting experience into useful personal development – but pause to think about how we document that reflection. There may be further guidance soon from the college.

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. Henry Ford

Thanks for making it this far, and that’s all for now.

Here is a link for all the school contacts. If you’d like to get more involved in the work and development of the school, please get in touch!

Very best wishes, Russell

@russell_peek

Russell.Peek@nhs.net

Paediatric trainees and Consultants, 14th September at Bristol Zoo

For more information please contact School manager Karen Fishenden

Severn Paediatric Trainee Conference 2017

Open to Both Severn and Peninsula Trainees

UHB Education Centre Bristol

CA LL FOR ABSTRACTS - EXTENSION TO DEADLINE - SUNDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2016

We are pleased to announce that we have now extended the deadline for the call for abstracts for our 43^rd BPNA Annual Conference 2017.

The deadline for submission will now be Sunday 25 September 2016. You will have until midnight on this day to submit your abstract.Submit your abstract here.

Please follow the Guidelines and instructions when submitting your abstract.

Applicants will be notified of results by the end of October 2016.

Oral Presentations - 

Oral presentations will have 15 minutes each: 10 minutes for the presentation, with a further 5 minutes for discussion. Please note that presenters must be registered for the conference day of their presentation. Notifications will be made in November to allow for early bird conference registration.

Poster Presentations - 

Posters will be on display for the duration of the conference. This year there will be guided poster tours, one author must be present for questions. Details of timings will be made in November to allow for early bird conference registration.

If you have any queries, please email Katie Wilkinson.

We will be holding our 43^rd Annual Conference on the 11-13 January 2017 in Cambridge, England. Please join us for three days of excellent and practical Paediatric Neurology, in the convivial and beautiful surroundings of our lovely university city.

The conference will be held at West Road Concert Hall, a short walk from the centre of Cambridge and near to the famous Cambridge Backs and King's College.

On Wednesday 11 January there will be an evening drinks reception at the Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology. The social highlight will be a dinner and Ceilidh on Thursday 12 January in the magnificent hall of King's College. Dinner will be followed by traditional dancing to the Cambridge University Ceilidh Band.

We expect a stimulating and exciting peer-reviewed programme, but locally invited expert speakers will cover topics that include genetic updates, sleep, neural inflammation and rehabilitation. The scientific program will be greatly enhanced with local keynote speakers, updating us on their fields in which they lead internationally.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

The deadline for submission is Monday 12 September 2016. Submit your abstract here.

Please follow the Guidelines and instructions when submitting your abstract.

Applicants will be notified of results by the end of October 2016.

THE RONNIE MACKEITH PRIZE LECTURE

This prize is awarded to those who have made a significant contribution to paediatric neurology as judged by published work and who were under the age of 40 years, or within 5 years of obtaining CCT, whichever was later. The prize lecturer gives a 30-minute presentation at the BPNA conference and is awarded £500 plus full registration for the conference plus travel expenses and hotel accommodation.

Submit your nominations here.  The deadline for nominations is 30 September 2016. 

BPNA AWARD FOR FABULOUS TRAINEE ACTION

Nominations are now open. The prize will be awarded at the annual conference dinner to a trainee who has best contributed to service improvement which significantly impacted on their local and/or national practice, or any other innovative contribution. Submit your nominations here. The deadline for nominations is 30 November 2016.

EARY BIRD RATES

We are pleased to offer ‘early bird’ rates to those who book by the 30 November 2016. The standard rates apply for bookings after this date. Please click here to book online.

If you are NOT already a member but wish to join, you need to apply for membership before 30 November 2015 to benefit from reduced conference fees for members.

DISTANCE LEARNING STUDY DAY

The Distance Learning study day will be held on Tuesday 10 January 2017 at Wolfson College, Cambridge. Please book this online as part of your conference booking. Timings and the theme/units to be covered will follow shortly.

We very much look forward to seeing you all there!

9th May in Swindon Please register to attend now  www.swpc.org.uk closing date for applications 6th May

26th August

Dear Severn Trainee

As you will be aware we have been operating a mixed model of study leave within Severn Deanery for 2014/5 with some trusts (UHB and NBT) being responsible for study leave and Severn PGME managing it behalf of other Trusts.

We have reviewed the management of study leave with Trusts going forward for the financial year 2015/6. It has been agreed that from 1^st April 2015 the management of study leave will become the responsibility of Trusts as a key part of their management of the MADEL tariff. From April 1^st 2015 you should therefore apply directly to the Trust where you are working for study leave.

There has been a substantial amount of work undertaken in Severn PGME to develop strong and innovative regional teaching programmes, and there is a desire by all parties to continue this. We will be finalising the details of this over the next month.

The exception to this will be then Partnership Trusts, who have indicated that they wish to continue the current arrangements, whereby Severn PGME will manage the study leave on their behalf. All trainees in psychiatry should therefore continue to follow the current arrangements.

We are formally reviewing the arrangements for foundation and general practice in the next two weeks, but anticipate that these will remain broadly as now at the current time.

Please contact the  Medical Education Managers in your trust to get details of how to apply for study leave from April 1^st 2015.

Yours sincerely

Professor Selena Gray MBChB, MD, FFPH, FRCP
Deputy Postgraduate Dean

The School of Paediatrics welcomes Dr Tom Hilliard as the new Head of School - Severn, congratulations and welcome Tom, fond farewell and special thanks to David Evans for all his hard work for the school over the last few years.

ST3-8 Trainee preferences for placements September 2015 now being requested. Preferences must be submitted to Dr Russell Peek by Monday 19th January 2015

Applications are invited for the position of Head of School of Paediatrics, within the Severn Postgraduate Medical Education, in conjunction with the Royal College of Paediatrics. This position is for 3 Sessions per week.

Eligible applicants for this positions will be working in consultant or equivalent posts within the School of Paediatrics within the Health Education South West footprint.

The appointment will be made on the basis of a part-time secondment to Health Education South West alongside existing employment, for an initial period of 3 years.

Reimbursement will be made to the employing organisation equivalent to the number of sessions, to enable release for these duties.

It is essential that applicants secure the support of their employing organisation prior to an application being made.

A track record of achievement in training and education is essential.

As well as meeting the Person Specification requirements the successful candidates will also demonstrate the commitment and ability to:

• Promote and support excellence in education
• Ensure that the quality of education and training for Specialty Trainees meets the standards laid down by GMC
• Ensure that the delivery of training enhances the quality and safety of care for patients now and in the future
• Champion equality of opportunity

Applications in the form of a CV and letter demonstrating why you are suitable for the role are to be sent to Gill Murphy, Health Education South West, Postgraduate Medical Education, Deanery House, Vantage Park, Hambrook, Bristol, BS16 1GW orGill.Murphy@southwest.hee.nhs.uk  by the closing date of 31st December.

Interviews will be held on the 8th January at Deanery House.

Vacancy Details;

http://www.severndeanery.nhs.uk/recruitment/vacancies/show/head-of-school-of-paediatrics

7th November at Education Centre the Annual South West Paediatric Club Meeting, see "Events" tab for details

After a successful and enjoyable evening at the school awards dinner, I am pleased to congratulate the following people who were nominated and won:

Wen Yi Ding for Research and Audit
Eve Bassett for Personal Contribution
Tom Jerrom for Clinical Ability
Daphin Fernandez for Educational Supervisor
David Evans, David Odd and Russell Peek for best teaching day to ST1-3
Simon Bedwani for best teaching day to ST4-5
Frances Hutchings for best teaching day to ST6-8

well done everyone and thanks to all those who were able to come along and make this such a successful celebration of our schools excellence.

Its going to be a bumper party tomorrow, 50 people booked to come along. See you all at the Zoo

Nominations are now all in for the School Awards Evening this week, the winners will be announced on Thursday at the Dinner, so watch this space. List of nominees below. 

Clinical Ability: Sohail Ghani, Marion Roderick, Julia Hanwell, Neky Sargant, Rathi Prasad, Tom Jerrom, Fran Hutchings
Research and Audit: Rebecca Unsworth, Chrissy Parfitt, Katherine Hawton, Juliette Oakley, Wen Yi Ding, Eve Bassett, Jaya Perasuraman, Amy Whiting, Helen Gillett, Linze Hamilton.
Personal Contribution: Andrew Mullett, Chris Tate, Frankie Toussaint, Lucy Plumb, Jemma Virtue, J-C Sconce, Pieter Van Hensbergen, Eve Bassett, Marion Roderick.
Educational Supervisor: Lynn Diskin, John Henderson, Daphin Fernandez, Jolanta Bernantoniene, Paul Mannix, Johnathan Davis, Fiona Finlay, Kate Martin, Chris Knight.
Well done everybody for getting this far

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are looking to appoint two medical trainee members to our Curriculum and Assessment Group (CAG) within our Education & Standards Directorate at the GMC. The vacancies have arisen as a result of two current trainees gaining their Certificates of Completion of Training and moving to become medical members of the CAG.

The purpose of the CAG is to scrutinise changes to specialty and subspecialty curricula and assessment systems evaluating them against the GMC’s curriculum standards.

We are looking for trainee members who have experience in one or all of the following areas; medical education, curriculum development, assessment expertise and psychometrics.

More information can be found on the Education news section of the GMC website. It includes more information on the role of the CAG, the trainee member specification and the application process.

To apply for the role, please click here. We welcome applications from doctors in training. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone suitable.

If you have any questions on any aspect of this email please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

Neil Grant, Associate Services Advisor, General Medical Council, Regents Place, 350 Euston Road, London, NW1 3JN Tel: 020 7189 5336 

Severn Postgraduate Medical Education has created a new film concerning sustainable working practices across the region.
We encourage everyone involved with postgraduate medical education to take a look because it contains ideas and information about how we as an organisation can reduce our carbon footprint to meet national targets.

Sustainability Short Film

We hope that you enjoy it…

The Academy Trainee Doctors' Group has produced 'A Charter for Postgraduate Medical Training' on behalf of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. This Charter describes a set of guiding principles to ensure the highest standard of doctors’ training and quality of care. It also makes specific recommendations for commitments based on these principles which emphasise training priorities while recognising the responsibilities of doctors in training.

AOMRC Doctors in training

 The Charter was written in consultation with stakeholders including the medical royal colleges and faculties, the General Medical Council and the Shape of Training Expert Advisory Group. Professor David Greenaway’s report ‘Securing the future of excellent patient care: Final report of the independent review’ highlighted the Charter and its potential to help with the challenges of delivering both training and service. The Charter was published in full as an annex to this report.
We are currently sending the Charter to all groups involved in medical training and to doctors in training via Trainee representatives. You may well be contacted in this regard and we are expecting doctors in training to have further ideas on how to disseminate the charter (for example, by including it in induction or welcome packs).
We believe the Charter has the potential to provide an excellent foundation for delivering training and high quality care and I hope you will share our enthusiasm for this work.

FAO all trainees in HESW Severn

With effect from the 1st April 2014 trainees based in either University Hospitals Bristol Trust or North Bristol NHS Trust will apply for study leave through the Intrepid online system as usual but approval will now be undertaken via the medical education department in your post graduate centre. You will also claim expenses for approved study leave through the medical education department and they will be in touch with regards to the process for claiming your expenses in due course.

All other trainees will continue to access study leave funding via Health Education SW as in previous years. ALL trainees (including those at NBT and UHBT) should continue to log your application for study leave via the online Intrepid system.

Your head of school will be in contact shortly regarding your budget allocation for 2014/15.

The 2014 GMC Trainee survey is now live until the 8th May.

It can be accessed through the GMC website. 

Please log in and complete the survey.

Thank you!

Countdown, GMC Trainee Survey runs this year from 26th March to 8th May, complete it early please

Save the Date this year's School Awards Dinner 28th August 2014

Dr Russell Peek ST4-8 TPD  will be sending out information asking for your prefernce requests for placements Sept 2014 to 2015. Watch out for an e mail from him.

Applications are now open for the National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow Scheme, sponsored by Sir Bruce Keogh and managed by the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management.

The scheme offers doctors in training an outstanding and unique opportunity to develop leadership and management skills in a range of national healthcare organisations which have previously included NHS England, Health Education England, GMC, NICE, Public Health England, Royal Colleges, St Andrews Healthcare, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the Association of British Healthcare Industries, BMJ and BUPA.  Host organisations for 2014-15 have yet to be finalised. This work is complemented by the peer support offered by being in a cohort of trainees.

Clinical Fellows have the chance to work alongside influential leaders and meet key players in healthcare from the NHS and beyond. The scheme has complemented clinical practice with careers in medical management, clinical leadership, public health and policy. The posts are paid a clinical salary with banding as some work activities may occur outside normal working hours.

This year there will continue to be placements across England, including a number of opportunities in the North of England. For more information please visit: www.fmlm.ac.uk/clinical-fellow-scheme

Applications close on 14 February 2014 and will be followed by a shortlisting process. Interviews are expected to take place in London on 10 and 11 March 2014.

Developing people for health and healthcare

Specialty Selection Test (SST) pilot for CT1/ST1 Applicants

Health Education England (HEE) and the devolved nations are piloting a Specialty Selection Test (SST) as part of a wider programme (MDRS) to improve medical and dental recruitment and selection across the UK. We’re working with the Work Psychology Group, academics in the University College of London Medical

School and specialty leads to pilot the SST.

Participate and be in with a chance to win some fantastic prizes, including an iPad or Kindle!

The pilot will take place across a number of different medical specialties in the UK and includes a Clinical Problem Solving Test (CPS) and a Situational Judgement Test (SJT).

Participating is simple and will only require a few hours of your time.

What is the purpose of the pilot?

The purpose of this pilot is to evaluate whether these tests enhance the current methods of selection used for ST1/CT1 level recruitment. We will also continue to follow applicant progression for a number of years, to ensure a long-term robust evaluation.

Test results will not form part of the selection process, they will be anonymised and will not impact on your fitness to practise.

Ultimately, we are assessing whether the SST is a good predictor of a doctor’s performance throughout their training and aiming to ensure the selection process is reliable, valid, fair and cost-effective.

Why should I participate?

By participating in the SST pilot you will receive feedback on how well you performed in the national cohort and you will also be eligible to win one of five prizes. First prize is a 32GB iPad, second prize is a 32GB kindle fire HD, third prize is a kindle plus paperwhite, fourth prize is a kindle paperwhite and fifth prize is a kindle.

This pilot aims to improve the way doctors are selected in the future and this is your chance to give your views on this selection process and make your voice heard! Tell us your views on this method of selection and how valuable you found the test. Our main aim is to further improve the selection process by ensuring that it is fair, valid, just

and reliable.

How can I participate?

If you are eligible, you’ll receive an email invitation in December 2013 to take part in the Specialty Selection Test. The test will be delivered online between 13-25 January 2014 through Pearson VUE test centres. You will be asked to choose a time-slot and a venue from one of many Pearson VUE test centres across the UK and will need to book your

slot no later than 21 December 2013. The test centres are located within close proximity to hospitals across the UK and are available on Saturdays and after hours.

How will the test work?

The test itself will consist of a two hour and fifteen minute online test. It will be completely computer based and the questions will be developed by leading specialists according to specialty person specifications and foundation programme curriculum. If you are already doing the GP test or if you have applied to Broad Based Training, you will not be asked to do the additional test. If you are

applying to a number of different specialities you will only be required to sit the test once.

Why is a selection test being piloted across multiple specialties?

The pilot of the SST is designed to be broad-based due to the nature of the overlap of person specifications required by all specialties. A good example of this is the fact that all specialties require trained doctors not just to be clinically competent, but also empathic and sensitive with patients and colleagues, to behave with professional integrity, and to have the ability to prioritise and cope well under pressure and work effectively in a team. All doctors who have undertaken Foundation will be familiar with the Foundation Curriculum by which these skills, values and behaviours are embedded.

The SST does not seek to replace individual specialty specifications. Each speciality will still have its own speciality specific elements within the selection process.

Where can I go to find more information?

More information, including an applicant guide, is available on the Specialty Training website: www.specialtytraining.nhs.uk or you can email us at hee.mdrs@nhs.net if you have any questions about the SST pilot.

Pilot Timeline

Apply to ST1/CT1 Training (12 November-5 December 2013)

Receive an email invitation to sit the test (11 December 2013)

Book your slot and preferred Pearson VUE test centre (11-21 December 2013)

Participate in the SST pilot (13-25 January 2014)

www.specialtytraining.nhs.uk

Dear Colleagues,

For your information and to add to our local celebrations, we were delighted that Dr Guy Undrill was awarded the Royal College 'Trainer of the Year Award' yesterday.

This is a great tribute to Guy, who’s work with trainees, across quality issues in the school and on developing our communication skills training over many years has been fantastic.

I am sure you will join me in offering him our congratulations.

Best wishes,

Rob Macpherson, Head of Severn School of Psychiatry.

We are very pleased and proud to announce that the Severn Postgraduate Medical Education Developing Innovative Practice document is now launched.

It has been created to showcase the excellent work across Severn and its postgraduate schools. We invite you to have a look at the ground-breaking and innovative work which we do.

Severn Postgraduate Medical Education has developed seven Core Values, which guide everything that we do and provides the framework for this document.

Please feel free to contact any of the staff responsible for this work, as we are always keen to network and share best practice.

Copies of the document may be obtained from Severn Postgraduate Medical Education or for convenience a pdf version is available to download.

The Postgraduate Dean of Severn Postgraduate Medical Education, Professor Davinder Sandhu, has been awarded the Bruce Medal in recognition of the contribution he has made to the advancement of surgical education.

The Bruce Medal was established by The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1966 in memory of a former President, the late Sir John Bruce. It is awarded from time to time to a Fellow of the College to recognise a major contribution to surgical knowledge or teaching.

Professor Davinder Sandhu (left) receives the Bruce Medal

Professor Sandhu received the award at a ceremony at the Edinburgh College on Friday 06 September 2013.

Commenting on receiving the honour, he said:

"I feel hugely honoured and humbled by this award. The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is a leading College with a particular focus on surgical education and training, and to receive the Bruce Medal is the pinnacle of my career and I am absolutely delighted to receive it."

Professor Robert Woodwards from the College’s Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Specialty Group said:

"Professor Sandhu has been Lead Dean for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for the last four years, as well as Lead Dean for the interface specialties. In these roles, he has been greatly involved in development of a new curriculum for the specialty, which has now had GMC approval, and has also guided the development and implementation of central recruitment to the specialty."

"He has also provided great support in the development of the interface specialties (cleft lip and palate; head and neck cancer care; cosmetic and reconstructive surgery and trauma) and has fought for funding and grants in these Fellowships to allow expanded training opportunities."

"He continues to contribute to postgraduate education nationally and internationally; has published over 40 original papers and is editor and reviewer of several journals."

"For many years Professor Sandhu has worked tirelessly to improve standards in medical education, and through that, patient care. I commend him as a worthy recipient of this honour.”

Notes to editors:

• Professor Davinder Sandhu MD, FRCS (Ed.Urol), FRCS (Eng & Glas), Cert.Med.Ed., FRCPE has been Postgraduate Dean of Severn Postgraduate Medical Education (formerly Severn Deanery) for 8 years and was previously a Consultant Urological Surgeon in Leicester for 13 years.
  He represents the Conference of Postgraduate Medical Deans (COPMeD) at the Joint Medical Consultative Council (JMCC) and is the South West Regional Surgical Advisor for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He is Chair of the Association of Medical Education Europe Postgraduate Committee.
• Severn Postgraduate Medical Education is part of Health Education South West which is a new organisation responsible for the planning, development, education and training of the healthcare and public health workforce in the region.
  More information at Health Education South West website
• Established in 1505 and with a worldwide membership, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is one of the world’s oldest and largest surgical establishments dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and advancement in surgical and dental practice, through its activities in education, training and examinations. For more information go to The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh website 
• For interviews with Professor Sandhu please contact Jonathan Cramp, Communications Manager, Health Education South West on 01823 361125.

 

Welcome

August 2013 – Issue 1

If you are coming to the BMJ Careers Fair on 18th and 19th October 2013, please come and visit us at Stand 75 and do look out for our article on BBT, likely to be published in the 5th October edition of the BMJ.

Deaneries/LETBs involved

Programme Details

BBT posts are likely to be in the same seven LETBs/Deaneries as they were in 2013. Please note that this means no new LETBs/Deaneries are offering BBT training programmes in 2014.

We hope to have confirmation by mid-September that the LETBs/Deaneries below will be involved in BBT recruitment 2014 by mid-September 2013, and to have post numbers confirmed by early October 2013. We will post this information on https://www.nwpgmd.nhs.uk/bbt in due course. 

Provisional 2014 Recruitment Timetable

Check out our Events pages, ST4-5 training days, ARCP and Board Meeting dates now available

South West Paediatric Club Autumn Meeting

8 November 2013

Education Centre, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Bristol, BS28BJ

MEETINGS OPEN FOR ABSTRACTS

Closing date for abstracts is 28 th of September

Back by popular demand, 2013 Trainee Awards Evening 

September 19th 2013

19:00 onwards

Engineers House, Clifton Down, Bristol

An evening of celebration for the hard work of all trainees

Cost: £36

(FOR THREE COURSE MEAL, DRINKS ADDITIONAL)

To mark the National Health Service’s 65th birthday, Health Education England has created an infographic highlighting some key milestones in training, education and workforce development over the past 65 years.

For more details and to download it, please visit the Health Education England website

Sent on behalf of Agents for Change.  This is an initiative to encourage trainees to improve the National Health Service. It is a collaboration between NHS England and BMJ, but many others contribute to its success.

Join us at BMA House on Friday 28 June for Agents for Change 2013 -​ the only national conference for junior doctors on improving patient safety and the quality of healthcare.

This year's theme is Speak, Act, Lead. We have exciting workshops, inspiring speeches, an online programme and a way to publish your own project - for you to become an Agent for Change. It is aimed at junior doctors to help them do quality improvement in their own workplaces. Robert Francis, Sir Bruce Keogh and Fiona Godlee will be among the speakers.

National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow Scheme – open to doctors in training

Applications are now open for the National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow Scheme. The scheme is an exciting and unique opportunity for doctors in training to gain skills in leadership, management and health policy. Participants spend a year full time, learning by doing, in an extensive range of host organisations, including NICE, NHS Commissioning Board, GMC, BUPA and Medical Royal Colleges. Based on the current fellows’ experiences, the broad portfolio of potential work ranges from organising ministerial seminars to coordinating the national viral outbreak response strategy. This work is complemented by extensive training opportunities and the peer support offered by being part of a cohort with other junior doctors. Clinical Fellows have the chance to work alongside influential leaders and meet key players in healthcare from the NHS and beyond. The scheme has acted as a launch-pad for further careers in medical management, clinical leadership, public health and policy. Secondment ensures that existing terms and conditions are maintained and the posts are paid a clinical salary with banding. This year there will be placements across England, including a number of opportunities in the north of the country. For more information please visit:

www.fmlm.ac.uk/clinical-fellow-scheme

Applications close on 24 May 2013 and will be followed by a shortlisting process, with interviews on 4 June 2013.

Over the Wall

A few months ago an e mail popped into my inbox asking me to circulate to trainee Paediatric doctors and GP trainees details about a charity called “Over the Wall”
I read all about the wonderful work they do for seriously ill children and for siblings and families whose lives are affected by serious illness and contacted the charity to find out more.

I completed an application form to become a volunteer at the camps that they run. I was selected for an interview in January this year and attended a full day in London along with others to see if I could be mad enough and generally play the fool in order to join this lively fun loving team of young volunteers, I had a nerve raking month waiting to hear if I had been selected as by now I was really keen to help.
Well the congratulations e mail arrived and I was offered the opportunity to attend the Spring Camp in Dorset for siblings of seriously Ill children over the Easter week.
I packed my bags not knowing what to expect and I really want to share with people what a fantastic awesome time I had.
I arrived on Bank holiday Friday to Brynston School where I met up with some seriously fantastic young people who were also volunteers. Some were returning and some like me, new to camp. We were spilt into teams and allocated our “cabins” (boarding house) I was a team mate on the Purple Pirate boys team looking after boys aged 11-12 along with 6 others, we had 7 boys, so a 1-2-1 ratio. We spent the first evening doing team building exercises and decorating out cabins ready for the campers to arrive (all on a colour and theme depending on the team you were allocated to). The following day was a full on day of training for the volunteers and then on Sunday the camp came alive with 80 campers ranging from the age of 7-17.

A brief description of a typical day in camp

8am, drag the children out of bed – typing them off their mattress, grabbing the duvet, anything legal to drag them out of bed, face paint, purple t shirts, crazy hair. Don’t bother washing as you will be covered in face paint!

8.30, Meet all the rest of the campers on the green for a sing along – mostly action and repeat after me songs. Some 80 campers and 80 volunteers in total- so a very noisy morning start

8.45, Breakfast – usually involving some disgusting eating challenge which the children found hilarious and were no doubt never allowed to do at home.

More singing and hilarity over breakfast and many challenges going around all the tables.

9.30 - 11.00 activity,

11.15 – 12.30, another activity

12.45 , lunch, again great fun, lots of singing and challenges as well as loads of fuel food.

13.30 cabin rest time for an hour/preparation for talent night…rest does anyone actually know what rest is?

14.30 – 16.00 activity

16.15 – 17.30 activity

18.00 dinner, more challenges and more singing and even more food

19.00 Talent show/opening ceremony/closing ceremony various evening fun and entertainment

20.30 – Cabin chat, talk all about the day, proud moments, challenges the children achieved and general chill out, time to reflect on the day and how awesome the children are, generally confidence boosting sessions.

Around 11 ish try and get overly excited children to bed having fed them loads of haribo and chocolate.

12 midnight – time for the volunteers to all get together and play games such as wink murder, various silly card games chats and preparation for the next day, drinking hot chocolate or high energy drinks.

2.30am (that was the earliest)bed time, zzzzzzzzzzzz

Camp Activities included;
Archery, clay pigeon shooting, arts and crafts, music, sports and games, swimming, drama, talent show, the list was endless.

I came home an emotional wreck, totally exhausted but at the same time rejuvenated and feeling on top of the world. I am not sure who I am in awe of most, this amazing organization, the unbelievable young volunteers or the children that attended. Although I was the oldest volunteer I felt that I had made a difference and had spent a rewarding and satisfying week, would I do it again…..in the blink of an eye.

On the Over the Wall web site it has a health warning, Once attended it becomes addictive. How true.

If anyone would like to find out how to make a donation or indeed volunteer please visit the website or give me a call

Over the Wall

Karen.fishenden@southwest.hee.nhs.uk

01454252685

With the reorganisation of the NHS that happened at the start of April 2013, Medical Training has become the responsibility of Health Education England (HEE). Regionally, HEE is represented by Local Education and Training Boards (LETBs).

We have one LETB in the South West, Health Education South West (HESW) and the Severn and South West Peninsula Deaneries are part of this new structure.

At the moment the GMC would like Health Education South West to be the designated body for Revalidation for trainees, taking over this function for both Deaneries.

Each Postgraduate Dean, Professor Davinder Sandhu and Professor Martin Beaman, will alternate in the role of Responsible Officer, and Martin Beaman will be in this role first.

Despite this apparent change in the organisation of the Revalidation Process, Severn Trainees will continue to be managed byt the Severn Deanery and the Severn Revalidation Team, and likewise in the Peninsula.

Queries may be received by either Deanery but will be diverted if appropriate.

The national training survey 2013: what do you think about your training?

The annual national training survey launches on the 26 March 2013. As a doctor in training, this is your chance to have your say on the training you receive.

The survey results help deaneries, local education and training boards and local education providers to recognise the aspects of the training they deliver that are working well, and to take action where the results indicate a need for improvement.

Dr Muj Husain is an ST5 in psychiatry and currently a clinical fellow at the GMC:

"The national training survey is a really useful tool for identifying problems and finding out where things are going well. As a doctor in training I’ve used the survey results to draw attention to areas for improvement and to help target our work locally on improving training. The results are also an extremely valuable component of the GMC’s work to monitor the quality of postgraduate and foundation training in the UK. "

The survey is easy to complete – it should take you no more than 20 minutes. Log in to your GMC Online account after 26 March and your survey will be waiting for you. Please respond to the survey by 8 May 2013 to make sure your views count.

The survey provides us with a unique chance to understand, reflect and improve the way we train. It is important that we hear the views of all trainees so that we have as accurate a picture of the training we provide as possible.

Visit gmc-uk to find out more.

Medical training has undergone huge changes over the past decade. We have seen the implementation of the European Working Time Directive, the advent of Modernising Medical Careers and the creation of the Foundation Programme. The profound effects of these reforms have been considered and analysed by a number of key enquires. Professor Sir John Temple led a review of the impact of new working time legislation on training and produced the Time for Training report. This made 33 recommendations of how training could be improved within the boundaries of a 48 hour working week. Health Education England have distilled these recommendations in to common themes and identified three that are relevant to the role that trainees play in their own training:

• Training must be planned and focussed for the trainees’ needs
• Training requires a change from traditional perceptions of learning which recognises the modern NHS
• Trainees must be involved in the decision making and implementation of training innovations that affect their present and future careers

The challenge is for us as trainees to seize this opportunity to come up with solutions that allow us to make training work better for us. We are ideally positioned to see where things could be improved, but can lack the senior support, financial backing or voice to be able to affect these changes. Health Education England has put forward £100,000 to change this. It is working with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges to identify a number of trainee-led projects in England that meet the challenge set out in Professor Temple’s recommendations.

There are no limits about what the project could be like, as long as you can show how it would positively change training by addressing the recommendations. Ideas could look at trainee representation, mentoring, portfolios, career planning, mobile apps, educational websites, e-learning…whatever you feel would improve the experience of being a trainee. Projects must have the potential to have a national impact and need to be sustainable, even when the original trainees move on.

As well as the money, HEE and the Academy will also help you to identify the appropriate support for your project, be that from Deaneries or the Colleges, IT know-how or media assistance.

For more info and for an application form, please contact the Better Training, Better Care team or 020 8433 6862. Alternatively please visit:

www.hee.nhs.uk/work-programmes/btbc/role-of-trainee

Applications close 12 noon Tuesday 2 April 2013.

Good luck

Dr. Howard Ryland

Clinical Fellow

Dear Colleagues,

For the last four years, the Severn Deanery has topped the national league in having the highest response rate for the GMC trainee survey, which is a tremendous record and one that we can be very proud of. The results of this survey form a vital part of the quality management processes in the Deanery - visits, reporting, quality panels, the risk register and work to improve posts within Trusts and Schools. This also forms feedback for the Trusts and the individual programmes. We need the highest response rate we can get again this year to have reliable and valid results. This will also allow us in particular to analyse results from smaller specialties.

This year the survey is open for six weeks from 26th March 2013 until 8th May 2013. I am therefore asking for your concerted help to attempt to achieve the highest response rates possible within the live period again this year for all Trusts, Schools (including Primary Care) and the Deanery. Could you please give your support to the Quality team at the Deanery who are coordinating this on all our behalf.

If there are any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Allegra Etheridge.

With many thanks,

Best wishes,

Professor Davinder P S Sandhu

Applications are now open for the National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow Scheme. The scheme is an exciting and unique opportunity for doctors in training to gain skills in leadership, management and health policy.

Participants spend a year full time, learning by doing, in an extensive range of host organisations, including NICE, NHS Commissioning Board, GMC, BUPA and Medical Royal Colleges. Based on the current fellows’ experiences, the broad portfolio of potential work ranges from organising ministerial seminars to coordinating the national viral outbreak response strategy. This work is complemented by extensive training opportunities and the peer support offered by being part of a cohort with other junior doctors.

Clinical Fellows have the chance to work alongside influential leaders and meet key players in healthcare from the NHS and beyond. The scheme has acted as a launch-pad for further careers in medical management, clinical leadership, public health and policy. Secondment ensures that existing terms and conditions are maintained and the posts are paid a clinical salary with banding.

This year there will be placements across England, including a number of opportunities in the north of the country. For more information please visit: http://www.fmlm.ac.uk/clinical-fellow-scheme

Applications close on 11^th March 2013 and will be followed by a shortlisting process, with interviews on 15^th and 16^th April.

Sent on behalf of Natalie Marshall, Clinical Co-ordinator at Over the Wall Children's charity.

More than two decades ago, Paul Newman had a vision: imagine if children living with serious illnesses had the chance to simply be children. To just have fun. So he started a camp where kids could, in his words, “raise a little hell.” Today, Paul’s legacy lives on in SeriousFun Children's Network.

Over The Wall is part of this network; a UK charity who provides residential camps for children with serious illnesses, and their siblings. We give children one glorious week of experiences that are memorable, exciting, fun and empowering, in a safe environment.

To do this, we rely on doctors like you giving up a week of your time, skills and experience. In return, we can give you a week of fun, friendship and achievement, memories that will stay with you forever and people who will inspire you.

• Are you ST3 or above?
• Are you practicing in paediatrics or general practice?
• Are you registered with the GMC?
• Do you have professional indemnity insurance?
• Do you have current paediatric life support training?

If the answer is YES, we would love to hear from you. Please apply here.  For more information please visit our website or contact Natalie@otw.org.uk

2013 Camp dates

• Sibling Camp, Dorset @ Bryanston School: Sunday 31st March - Thursday 4th April (New Med team arrive- 29th, returning med team- 30th)
• Sibling Camp, Midlands @ Caythorpe Court: Sunday 26th - Thursday 30th May (New Med team arrive- 24th, returning med team- 25th) 
• Sibling Camp, Scotland @ Glenalmond School: Monday 8th July – Friday 12th July (New Med team arrive- 6th, returning med team- 7th)
• Serious Illness Camp, Scotland: Sunday 30th June - Friday 5th July (New Med team arrive- 28th, returning med team- 28th)
• Serious Illness Camp, Dorset week 1 @ Bryanston School: Sunday 21st - Friday 26th July (New Med team arrive- 19th, returning med team- 20th)
• Serious Illness Camp, Dorset week 2 @ Bryanston School: Monday 29th July - Saturday 3rd August (New Med team arrive- 27th, returning med team- 28th)
• Serious Illness Camp, Midlands @ Whitemoor Lakes: Sunday 18th - Friday 23rd August (New Med team arrive- 16th, returning med team- 17th)
• Family camps (weekend) in Scotland, North East, Midlands and South of England to be confirmed

Welcome and congratulations to Dr Kunal Ganhvi, Kunal was voted by the trainees to represent the ST1-3 trainees.

As you may be aware the Postgraduate Board has approved the introduction of a limit on timeframes within which a doctor is able to apply for a CCT / CP. The limit will be 12 months from the doctors expected end of training date, and will be effective from 31 March 2013.

http://www.gmc-uk.org/SGPC___CCT_flyer___DC3249.pdf_50700429.pdf

From 31 March 2013 all doctors will have a maximum of 12 months to apply for their Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) or specialist and GP registration through the Combined Programme (CP) route.

What does that mean for me?

If you’re eligible to apply before 31 March 2013, you have until 31 March 2014 to apply.

If you’re eligible to apply after 31 March 2013, you have 12 months from your expected end of training date to apply.

What happens if I don’t apply in time?

You will only be eligible to apply for entry to the specialist or GP register through the equivalence routes of CESR or CEGPR.n You’ll no longer be eligible for a CCT or specialist and GP registration through CP.

Need more help?

You can find more information on our website at www.gmc-uk.org/cctchanges/.

We would like to inform you that the application period for the March 2013 START opens today, ending on 7th January 2013.

The START assessment is open to all run-through trainees in the Level 3 stage of their paediatric training and non run-through doctors who have sufficient experience equivalent to Level 3 run-through training. More info on RCPCH Website START Exam Information

Senior Faculty members of the Deanery are expected to manage and deal with trainees who are referred on from Educational Supervisors because either the issues involved are potentially quite serious or the supervisors feel unable to handle the trainee themselves. The Deanery recognises that DMEs, Heads of School and Training Programme Directors have a special and sometimes difficult role in seeing trainees who need specific support or deft handling due to the complex or challenging nature of their situation or state. Although the Educational Supervisor half day workshop ‘How To Support Trainees’ considers this it does not explore issues in great depth nor does it enhance or develop skills due to time constraints. This day will explore in detail how to start the conversation and interaction when trainees have sensitive or difficult issues, consider how to explore such situations with trainees whilst being clear about standards and expectations and explore ways of moving on such situations towards successful resolutions. The day is being designed by Edgecumbe Consulting Group and will be delivered by Jenny King, Megan Joffe and Alan Cook, along with actors from Interact. It will include focused inputs, case discussions and practical skills development. 

Overall aim of day 

To enhance abilities in dealing with trainees who need support and are referred on from Educational Supervisors and others

Specific objectives

•  To learn how to diagnose a trainees needs and situational factors when referred at Level 2
• To develop skills in reframing and motivational questioning and explore other useful skills
• To clarify practice about documentation
• To explore how to assess levels of insight and explore how personality and self-assessment play into this
• To review how to decide on the right strategy and approach for each individual seen depending on the significant variables in play

The workshop will be a full day from 09.30-17.00, further details will be available closer to the event. The dates we are running the workshop are:

• Thursday 17th January 2013
• Monday 11th March 2013 

Both workshops will take place at Engineers House, Clifton, Bristol. BS8 3NB

If you are available and would like to attend please do let me know.

Best Wishes

Anne Elliott | Medical Education Development Manager | Severn Deanery | Vantage Office Park | Old Gloucester Road, Hambrook | Bristol, BS16 1GW |  

Tel: 01454 252624

The Shape of Training review – call for ideas and evidence now open

We have now launched the Shape of Training call for ideas and evidence, which is just one of several activities which we will be using to gather evidence. These also include UK seminars, oral evidence sessions, surveys, discussion groups and more.

The Shape of Training review 2012-2013

This review has been set up to understand and plan for the future of postgraduate medical education and training.  It is an independent review, jointly sponsored by:

• Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC)
• Conference of Postgraduate Medical Deans of the UK (COPMeD)
• General Medical Council (GMC)
• Health Education England (HEE)
• Medical Schools Council (MSC)
• NHS Scotland
• NHS Wales 
• Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.  

Direction and themes

Professor David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor of Nottingham University, was appointed in March this year to lead the review. In the first instance he brought together an Expert Advisory Group (EAG), to help determine the content and direction for this work. This group comprises medical training, patient and employers experts as well as expertise from outside the health sector. With their help, Professor Greenaway has identified the following key themes for discussion:

• Patient needs
• The balance of the medical workforce
• Flexibility in training
• The breadth and scope of training
• The tension between training and service provision

Evidence for the review will be gathered from a mix of stakeholders. Their views will be gathered via a combination of written and oral submissions, research evidence, site visits, surveys, discussion groups and events.

Next steps

A call for ideas and evidence is now live and will continue until 8 February 2013. We have planned five seminars for those involved with medical education, which will take place in all four countries, between now and January.  Site visits in locations across the UK have already begun with the first of these in Northern Ireland in October.

Find out more about the review at the independent Shape of Training website at:   http://www.shapeoftraining.co.uk/

Please cascade this to your members and partners for their websites

I hope you find this useful and that as sponsors we can together raise the profile and drive interest in this important work. Please contact us directly at shapeoftraining@gmc-uk.org with any questions or comments about this.

GMC position statement - November 2012

Purpose of this document

To provide clear guidance to Postgraduate Deaneries, Medical Royal Colleges/Faculties and trainees on the management of absences from training and their affect on a trainee’s Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) date

To supersede all references to time out of training (also known as exceptional leave) that are in existing curricula.

Who is covered by the revised requirements?

All Postgraduate trainees in GMC approved training, including fixed term posts such as locum appointments for training or Fixed Term Training Appointments are covered by this position statement. It is not dependent on the trainee working towards a CCT. This position statement does not cover Foundation trainees who are covered by a separate statement for provisionally registered doctors and also the UK Foundation Programme Reference Guide 2012.

Background

Prior to the Postgraduate Medical and Education Training Board (PMETB) being set up in 2005, curricula were time based with each specialty defining the length of time that a trainee needed to spend in the specialty before they were eligible to be awarded a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST - the certificate prior to the introduction of the CCT). Individual Colleges had different rules for the amount of time that a trainee could spend out of training without it affecting their CCT date.

PMETB introduced a move to competency based curricula underpinned by indicative timeframes. All curricula became competency based by 2010.

In parallel to the curriculum changes trainees’ hours of work have reduced with the implementation of working time regulations.

Individual College rules around time out of training were in many cases not altered to reflect the move to competency based training and the changes to working hours.

The current legal position

Sections 34J and 34K of the Medical Act outline the minimum training times for general practice and specialist training respectively and section 34L outlines that in order for the GMC to be able to award a CCT it must be satisfied that the individual has satisfactorily completed the approved course of training. This allows the GMC to determine the arrangements for certification.

Issues

Absence from training, other than for study or annual leave, may have an impact on a doctor’s ability to demonstrate competence and the satisfactory completion of the curriculum and assessment system to enable them to be awardeda CCT.

Absence is being treated differently across specialties and deaneries and there is a need to ensure fairness whilst recognising the different indicative lengths of each curriculum.

Historical allowances have not been updated to reflect the move to competency based curricula or shorter working hours.

Consultation with key interests

All stakeholder groups have been consulted, Deaneries, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Colleges/Faculties and junior doctors groups.

Position

The General Medical Council has determined that within each 12 month period where a trainee has been absent for a total of 14 days or more (when a trainee would normally be at work), this will trigger a review of whether the trainee needs to have their CCT date extended.

The administration of the absence and any extension to training will be undertaken by the relevant deanery in consultation with the relevant College/Faculty where necessary. The GMC support deaneries implementing this guidance flexibly to reflect the nature of the absence, the timing and the affect of the absence on the individuals’ competence. Examples of this flexibility are outlined in the FAQs. The GMC also support the use of targeted training to assist trainees in demonstrating the curriculum competencies without the need for an extension to training.

Equality

The absence includes all forms of absence such as sickness, maternity, compassionate paid/unpaid leave etc other than study or annual leave or prospectively approved Out of Programme Training/ research.

This statement is concerned with the effect of absence on a doctor’s ability to satisfactorily demonstrate the competency requirements of the relevant curriculum. It is not concerned with the doctor’s position as an employee and does not affect the doctor’s right to annual, sick, maternity, compassionate or other leave.

It is noted that this policy may have a disproportionate affect on those who have a single maternity absence within their training as previously they would have been given (for some curricula) one block of three months exceptional leave. The GMC have noted however, in all circumstances a trainee is required to demonstrate the necessary competencies of the curriculum and this would have been the case whether the three month exceptional leave had been granted or not.

The flexible approach outlined in paragraph 14 will enable each trainee’s circumstances to be considered on an individual basis and that any changes to CCT date will reflect the trainee’s demonstration of competence.

Implementation

Implementation date 1 April 2013

• Existing “exceptional leave” provisions in individual curricula are no longer acceptable
• Curriculum change submissions to reflect this statement
• ARCPs undertaken after this date that are assessing a full year period from 1 April 2013 to include the review of absence.

Not withstanding this implementation date, trainees are required to demonstrate the curriculum competency requirements.

Frequently asked questions

Colleges/Deaneries

Q: Will Colleges need to amend their curricula to remove any reference to time out of training?

A: Yes, for any changes submitted to the GMC from 1 April 2013.

Q: Will Deaneries and Colleges need to amend their websites

A: Yes, it is important that it is clear to trainees that extended absences are likely to lead to an amendment of their CCT date.

Trainees

Q: I have been given three months “exceptional” leave for a period of maternity leave that I took last year. Will my CCT date have to be extended given this new guidance?

A: Where a trainee has already been granted absence under the previous guidance this will not be retrospectively removed. However each trainee is required to demonstrate the curriculum competencies and this may therefore require targeted training or an extension to training in order to enable the trainee to demonstrate the curriculum competencies.

Q: If I am absent for more than 14 days (when I would normally be at work) will my CCT date automatically be amended?

A: The deanery will review each case of absence of 14 days or more in a single year and look at various factors:-

• timing of the absence - is it early in training or in the final months of the programme, is it immediately after a period of annual leave
• history of absence – has the trainee had periods of absence repeatedly
• nature of the absence – has the trainee been able to continue to participate in some elements of the training such as reading, online study etc.
• nature of the training that has been missed
• performance and assessments

The deanery will then consider whether the trainee has been able to demonstrate the curriculum competencies for the ARCP level, whether any deficiencies could be addressed through a period of targeted training or whether training needs to be extended. The deanery may wish to postpone this decision dependent on the following year’s performance, that is, to give the trainee the opportunity to achieve the competency through targeted training.

Q: How will the GMC ensure that deaneries implement this requirement fairly and consistently?

A: The GMC will monitor extensions to training via the review of ARCP data.

Q: How will the deanery know about my absence?

A: it is each individuals trainees responsibility under good medical practice to be honest and open and act with integrity and as such, to ensure that the deanery are aware of their absences through the deanery reporting requirements.

Q: Will the Out of Programme (OOPT/OOPR) process still exist?

A: Yes, this position statement is for absences that fall out with study or annual leave and any prospectively approved Out of Programme Training or Research. The existing OOPE process as defined in the Gold Guide is not affected by this statement

Q: What do the GMC mean by “normally at work”?

A: A doctor’s pattern of work will vary, with absences being blocks or weekends.Where a trainee is absent during their scheduled time away from work (work includes study leave) then this does not get counted within the period of absence.

For less than full time workers where they are absent during their scheduled non working time this does not count towards the period of absence.

Scheduled time away from work for full time or less than full time trainees cannot be amended to avoid counting absent time.

GMC position statement - November 2012

This document sets out the General Medical Council’s (GMC) requirements for trainees who are working towards a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) to transfer to the most recent GMC approved curriculum.

Following calls for a review of the position, the GMC concluded that the current arrangements (under which trainees in some specialties remain on the same version of the curriculum throughout their training even where it has been superseded) are unsatisfactory; in the interests of patient safety and educational quality, trainees in all specialties should transfer to the most recent curriculum and assessment system.

In effect this will mean that at any one time there will only be a maximum of two approved curriculum per specialty, the “old” one in which only those trainees in their final year of training will remain and the “current” curriculum. This will mean that trainees will be trained and assessed against the most recent standards for the specialty.

Who is covered by the revised requirements?

The revised requirements are relevant to those involved in the organisation, delivery and receipt of postgraduate medical education and training in the UK and those trainees who are in GMC approved postgraduate training programmes leading towards a CCT whose CCT date falls within the implementation plan.

Background

Prior to the formation of the Postgraduate Medical and Education Training Board (PMETB) in September 2005 there was no single set of standards against which curricula were developed. PMETB introduced a set of standards and an approval process and approved curricula for all the specialties in 2007. At that time therefore there were two groups of trainees, those on pre 2007 curricula and those on the 2007 curricula. Many of the curricula were in the early stages of development and it was acknowledged that the assessment systems, in particular,required development in order to fulfil the published standards. PMETB undertook a review of all curricula in 2010 and approved amendments.

The GMC adopted the standards for curriculum and assessment systems defined by PMETB and continues to consider changes submitted by Colleges and Faculties against these standards. This has meant that for virtually all of the 65 approved specialties (the exceptions being those specialties which have only recently been established) there are currently three or four approved curricula and assessments systems that trainees are following

• pre 2007
• 2007
• 2010 and
• post 2010

The current legal position

The Medical Act stipulates the standards which the GMC are required to set and maintain in relation to specialty training and the award of a CCT. To illustrate, the following provisions are relevant:

Section 34H says…

(1) The General Council shall-
(a) establish standards of, and requirements relating to, postgraduate medical education and training, including those necessary for the award of a CCT in general practice and in each recognised specialty;
(b) secure the maintenance of the standards and requirements established under paragraph (a);

And

(2)(b) to ensure that the needs of employers and those engaging the services of general practitioners and specialists within the UK health services are met by the standards the General Council establish under subsection (1)(a).

(4) The standards and requirements established under subsection (1)(a) shall include -
(b) the training curricula to be followed in general practice and in each recognised specialty;
(c) the assessment arrangements for persons undertaking education and training in general practice and specialist medical practice;practice or specialist medical practice;

Section 34L(1) says… the Registrar shall award a certificate of completion of training (CCT) to any person who applies to the General Council for that purpose if -
(b) the Registrar is satisfied that that person has been appointed to, and has satisfactorily completed, a course of training leading to the award of a CCT;

In setting and securing the standards and ensuring the needs of employers are met (34H(1)), and the Registrar’s responsibility to award a CCT to those who have completed an entire course of training leading to the award of a CCT, it would seem entirely reasonable to require that a trainee is up-to-date with the expectations of the relevant specialty current at the time the application is made for a CCT. Patients, and the NHS, would rightly expect nothing less.

Issues

There is general agreement, including amongst organisations representing the interests of trainees, that the current position is unsatisfactory for several reasons:

• Where updated curricula reflect patient safety issues, the needs of service, changing technologies and national legislative changes it would be unacceptable for the GMC to award a CCT to a trainee that had not fulfilled these requirements.
• It is important that all trainees awarded a CCT in the relevant specialty are equally up to speed, knowledgeable and competent – and assessed as such.
• Colleges/Faculties are submitting change requests on an almost annual basis. With training programmes ranging from three to eight years in duration and the fact that there is an increasing number of trainees working less than full time, if the move to current curricula is not implemented there could be in excess of 10 approved curricula in use at one time.
• Frequent changes to curricula are unsettling for trainees and difficult for trainers to manage.
• Deaneries have been required to manage and deliver as many as three or four different curricula with their matching assessment systems at the same time. We have had reported to us that this has caused confusion for trainees and trainers.
• Colleges/Faculties have also submitted changes to their assessment systems both in respect of work place based assessments and examinations. There is potential for confusion amongst those undertaking the assessments having to use different systems for different trainees under their supervision. In addition if trainees leave the programme without an understanding of the current assessment tools this may cause difficulties for future post CCT roles where the individuals become the assessors.
• A number of Colleges/Faculties use eportfolios, and having different curricula and assessment systems being followed at the same time, has the potential for confusion and technical difficulties.

The implementation of the position statement needs to ensure that the general principle of transfer to the current curriculum is observed, with those in their last year of training not being affected. Therefore transition plans are to follow the following key points

• The plan must be implemented for all trainees as appropriate for the timescales within the implementation plan.
• For “steady state” the plan should demonstrate completion of transition within two years of the approval of the new curriculum, but may be earlier.
• Implementation is expected to begin from approval – i.e. it does not need to await the next recruitment round.
• The administrative burden for trainees and deaneries should be kept to a minimum.

Consultation with key interests

We have consulted widely across the sector, including the UK health departments, NHS Employers, trainee bodies, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and individual colleges/Faculties and postgraduate deaneries. There has been general support from all stakeholders.

Implementation

This document together with the attached FAQs provides guidance to:

• Colleges/Faculties and Postgraduate Deans on what is required from them to transfer existing trainees to the most up to date curriculum
• Colleges/Faculties on what they need to do when they propose curriculum and/or assessment system changes.

A number of Colleges have previously approved implementation plans that were submitted as part of their curriculum changes. These have been widely published and are clear to trainees. It has been reported to the GMC that these transition arrangements will be complete by the end of December 2015. Subject to all trainees being transferred to the current curriculum by 1 January 2016 these existing plans remain approved.

The implementation plan is outlined below

by 31 March 2013

• Any College/Faculty submissions for curriculum or assessment system changes to include
  • mapping from existing curriculum
  • implementation plan for the transition to the proposed new curriculum
  • consultation with trainees and deaneries on the implementation plan 

by 31 December 2013

• Colleges/Faculties to produce (in liaison with their Lead Dean and trainees) for each of their curricula, a map showing the transfer of competencies from each of the “old” curriculum to their current curriculum. Including details of any impact, for example number of trainees, additional training resources required.

Between 1 January 2014 and By 31 December 2015

• Postgraduate Deaneries move trainees to the current curriculum at the point that they move from one year to another within the programme (usually at the trainees ARCP).
• The deadline of 31 December 2015 is the latest point at which all trainees will be required to have moved. Where Colleges in consultation with Deaneries are able to move trainees earlier this is encouraged by the GMC.

1 January 2016 (or earlier if trainees moved earlier)

• GMC decommission “old” curriculum and assessment systems for each specialty and sub specialty and also decommission “old” programme approvals.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How will Colleges/Faculties map “old” to “current” curricula?

A: Colleges will need to consider

• what areas of the curriculum have changed (been added/ removed/increased/ decreased/ altered)
• what assessments have changed
• when looking at the above, what additional resources or adaptations to existing programmes will be required to enable trainees to fulfil these changes?

Step 1: Colleges map changes from old to current curriculum – broken down into each year of training and outlining if in a later year what needs to be gone back upon in the earlier years.

Step 2: Colleges send to deaneries to consider the implementation plan for each of their trainees

Step 3: Deaneries at the next ARCP agree the changes and any targeted training to cover new/missed competencies and whether training needs to be extended

Step 4: Colleges report on progress in their annual specialty reports, Deaneries report on progress in their annual deanery reports.

Q: Will the College need to look at every trainee to ascertain where they slot into the current curriculum?

A: No. In order to ensure the administrative burden on Colleges, Deaneries and trainees is as low as possible, the mapping will outline at each year (so one map per year of the curriculum) of the curriculum where competencies will be transferred and this will be confirmed at the trainee’s next ARCP meeting, with a trainee’s programme being adapted as appropriate.

Q: Will there be guidance for Deaneries on the implementation?

A: As part of the mapping Colleges will be asked to provide guidance for programme directors and heads of school, but they would not be looking at individual trainees situations.

Examinations and assessments

Q: If I am in a training programme and the examination has changed will I need to retake it when I have already passed it?

A: No. However if the examination amendments have included examination in “new” areas of the curriculum then the College will define within its mapping whether additional evidence is required such as targeted workplace based assessments.

Q: I have passed part of the old exam – will this count towards the new exam?

A: Part of the College submission for any amendments to their curriculum and assessment systems will include discussion with trainees on the implementation and timings of changes and will outline whether parts of the exams will contribute towards the new exam. For existing curricula and assessment systems the mapping provided by the College will show how the “old” examination maps to the “current” one.

Q: I am in uncoupled training and have passed the old membership/fellowship examination but have not yet entered ST3 training. Will I need to take the new exam as well?

A: The examination is one part of the curriculum and assessment system for your specialty. The mapping produced by the College will outline what elements of the “current” curriculum you have already achieved and will indicate what assessments you need to complete. The Colleges will take into consideration the agreed position in relation to currency of examinations.

Q: If a new examination is introduced will I need to take it?

A: As part of the submission for the change of the assessment system the College will submit outlines of how existing trainees will move onto the new curriculum, this will include consultations with trainees to ensure that the timeframes are suitable and appropriate (falling within the maximum of a two year transition). For example if an examination is introduced in a trainee’s final year of training then it would not be reasonable to require a trainee to pass this new examination. However trainees may wish to take the examination for future employment opportunities.

Q: There is a new WPBA being introduced, will I need to go back and have all my old assessments completed against this new WPBA?

A: No – there will be an introduction date and it will be from that date that trainees will need to be assessed using the new WPBA. A number of trainees may also have been part of pilots prior to the formal introduction. It is important that the transition does not place an overly burdensome administrative process on all those involved or that trainees are required to demonstrate competencies they have already demonstrated.

Q: In my specialty the current curriculum requires trainees to record their progress/assessment using an e-portfolio – will I need to use it?

A: Where Colleges require trainees to use specific assessment or progress recording systems such as eportfolios then, yes you will need to use these, however you will not be required to retrospectively gather data. Colleges will provide guidance on the transfer of existing information.

Exemptions from transfer

Q: I am in my grace period after my expected CCT date – will I have to transfer?

A: No, however you must apply for your CCT within six months of your CCT date.

Q: I am in my last year of training – will I have to transfer?

A: the implementation plan will outline the timing of transfers to the current curriculum. These will be individual for each specialty. For clarity No trainee (including any less than full time or those out of programme) may remain in an “old” curriculum from 1 January 2016, subject to those trainees that fall into the category outlined in 24Q.

Q: Will I have an option to transfer even if I fall outside the requirement to transfer?

A: All trainees will be encouraged to transfer to the current curriculum so as to ensure that they will be fully up to date with current requirements for their specialty to ensure patient safety. Trainees should also be aware that not completing the current curriculum may have a detrimental affect on their employment opportunities.

Q: I am looking at becoming a less than full time trainee and this would extend my CCT date beyond January 2016 – will I have to transfer?

A: Yes.

Out of Programme

Q: I am currently in research – what will happen to me?

A: The current curriculum may not have the same recognition for research as the “old” one and so your training requirements will be considered on an individual basis. If you are in a programme and on an Out of Programme for Research (OOPR) then your transfer will not wait until your return to the programme. If you are not in a programme then you will apply in the usual way to the curriculum in place at the point of your application.

Q: I am currently in an Out of Programme Experience approved for training – what will happen to me?

A: You will be transferred to the current curriculum in the same way as other trainees at your ARCP (this will not wait until your return to the programme).

Q: My forthcoming Out of Programme Experience has been approved based on the “old” curriculum, what does this mean for me?

A: You will be transferred to the current curriculum in the same way as other trainees at your ARCP (this will not wait until your return to the programme if the ARCP is earlier). You may be required to undergo targeted WPBAs to ensure that you fulfil the requirements of the “current” curriculum.

Q: I am on maternity leave – what will happen to me?

A: As part of your ARCP you will be transferred to the current curriculum in the same way as other trainees.

Curricula competencies

Q: A change to the curriculum has been made in the early years of the programme that I have already completed (i.e. in ST3 and I am in ST5), will I have to go back and do this training?

A: The Colleges will map the “old” curriculum to the current one. Where the achievement of these earlier competencies can be demonstrated via later WPBAs or examinations then they will not need to be repeated. It should be noted however that some curricula are spiral in nature and earlier competencies are needed to underpin later ones and therefore you may need to have targeted training to support the achievement of the curriculum requirements. Other curriculum changes have been made to answer employer requirements and trainees may want to demonstrate these competencies for their future employment prospects.

Q: I am an advanced or higher trainee. Will I be affected by changes in Core training?

A: No, unless these changes are necessary to underpin later competencies in the curriculum. See question 18 above. Colleges will detail this in their mapping of the “old” to the current curriculum.

Q: The new curriculum stipulates a specific requirement which will be difficult to achieve at my current stage of training. What should I do?

A: Your postgraduate dean and training programme director will work with you to deliver the training that you require to complete the requirements of the current curriculum. Every effort will be made to do this via targeted training rather than an extension to training.

Q: The new curriculum is longer – does this mean that my CCT date will be extended?

A: All curricula are competency based and therefore it will be necessary as part of the Colleges’ submissions for changes to indicate whether there will need to be an extension to training time in order to enable trainees to demonstrate the competency levels. Every effort will be made to do this via targeted training rather than an extension to training.

Performance

Q: I have an outcome 3 or RITA E – where will I transfer?

A: You will transfer into the current curriculum at the point when you were last considered to have satisfactorily completed training. The transfer will not give you additional opportunities for training extensions.

Q: I have already had the maximum extension to training permitted in the gold guide, what will happen to me if the transfer requires an extension to my training?

A: Every effort will be made to enable trainees to achieve additional requirements via targeted training. If however an extension to training is required this will not count within the maximum extension to training period defined in the gold guide.

Q: My expected CCT date has been extended to June 2016 as I have not been able to demonstrate the required competencies. I did not originally have to transfer, will I now have to do so?

A: Where an extension is for six months then you are not required to transfer but if the extension is for more than six months then you will need to transfer. As outlined above - All trainees will be encouraged to transfer to the current curriculum so as to ensure that they will be fully up to date with current requirements for their specialty to ensure patient safety.

Future changes

Q: How will I know if there is a change planned to the curriculum?

A: any changes proposed by Colleges to the GMC are required to include input from trainees/trainee organisations (as well as Deaneries) particularly in relation to the transition plans and implementation timetable. It is important therefore that you maintain contact with your College throughout your training so that you are aware of developments.

Guidance

Q: Where can I find guidance on how to use the “current” curriculum and /or assessments?

A: Guidance on the current curriculum can be found on your College website.

Q: The “current” curriculum has new competencies, where can I find guidance on how to achieve these?

A: In the first instance please discuss any queries you have with your supervisor. Any changes to curricula and assessment systems are cascaded by the Collegesthrough the College and Deanery networks of trainers.

Background

On the merger of the GMC and PMETB in April 2010 the GMC became responsible for the awarding of the CCTs, other than streamlining the application process the policy around awarding of CCTs has not been reviewed. The CCT application process requires an application from the trainee and a recommendation from the parent college . The GMC invites those trainees that the college have indicated are due to complete their training in the next three to six months, to apply for their CCT via GMC Online. The college use the information that they hold on the trainee to determine whether they consider that the trainee has fulfilled the curriculum requirements and to provide the GMC with a recommendation. The college base their decision on information from the Deanery and usually additional information submitted by the trainee.

Once the GMC has received the application from the trainee together with the recommendation from the parent college the GMC issue the trainee with the CCT and add the doctors name to the specialist or GP register.

GP trainees in 96% of cases apply for their CCT in the month immediately before or the month after their CCT date. It is likely that this is because a GP trainee is removed from the performers list when their training finishes and cannot apply for entry (or re-entry) to a performers list unless they are listed in the GP Register.

Specialist trainees are less likely (51%) to apply within a month of their CCT date, this is likely to be because they can continue to work in any capacity other than that of a substantive NHS consultant (except a foundation trust) and many of them also take up the opportunity provided for them by the deanery for a grace period (up to six months post CCT date).

In the last six months the GMC have received a small number of enquiries from doctors, Deaneries or Medical Royal Colleges where a doctor failed to apply for their CCT (this will have been for numerous reasons). It appears that as doctors are preparing for their revalidation they are checking their registration status and are finding that they do not have specialist registration. One doctor had completed training in 2004.

There are a number of reasons which may make it impossible for the GMC to award a CCT to doctors who apply some time after their expected CCT date:-

• The deanery assessment was not carried out before they left training (i.e. no Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) or for the doctors from some time ago no Record of In Training Assessment (RITA) G was undertaken)
• The College did not receive the information that they needed in order to be able to make a recommendation (either from the doctor or the deanery)
• The College made a recommendation to the GMC (or previously PMETB) but no application was received from the doctor

In discussion with the Postgraduate Deaneries they have reported that where a trainee had not participated in the final ARCP (RITA) at the time of their completion of training it becomes difficult to make a judgement that the trainee had fulfilled the CCT curriculum and becomes impossible when a long period of time has elapsed.

Colleges have reported that they are not able to make a judgement without deanery documentation or when the doctor has left training and is working in limited practice. They have also reported that they are not always able to respond if they have been asked by the GMC if a recommendation they have submitted still stands (this happens when there is a gap between the college recommendation and the trainee application of more than six months)

From those that apply (the GMC currently does not maintain details of trainees coming up to their expected CCT date and relies on the medical Royal Colleges to provide these details) 99% apply within six months of their expected CCT date.

Post training revalidation is linked to a doctors end of training and so it is important that the trainee concludes their training with the award of the CCT and gains entry to the Specialist or GP register.

Legal advice has confirmed that the GMC is able to limit the timeframe within which it will consider an application for a CCT.

The Postgraduate Board agreed to the introduction of a limit on the timeframe within which a doctor is able to apply for a CCT. This time limit is 12 months from the doctors expected end of training date. It was further agreed that this time limit would be introduced effective from 31 March 2013.

It was further agreed that the GMC would work with interested parties (Colleges, trainees groups etc.) to publicise this time limit. In addition the GMC would contact all the doctors that the GMC had been informed of (by the colleges) that had to date not applied to inform them of this time limit.

It was noted that the GMC may not be able to make a decision on late applications submitted prior to 31 March 2013 where their was insufficient evidence of satisfactory completion of training (namely contemporaneous deanery and college documentation).

Doctors will continue to have the ability to apply for entry to the specialist or GP register but they would need to do so via the equivalence routes of CESR or CEGPR and provide the necessary documentation to confirm their current competence.

Resource implications

If numbers remain at the low level (four since Jan 2012) the financial impact is minimal as the additional work can be absorbed within current staffing. The affect on colleges and deaneries would be to reduce their work load in relation to delayed CCT applications but may increase the number of CESR/CEGPR applications, however they are resourced for these via the evaluation fee.

Contacting doctors who have not applied for a CCT will have resource implications for Colleges and the GMC will work with them to reduce this burden.

Equality

It was acknowledged that setting a time limit may have a disproportionate affect on less than full time trainees or those on maternity leave. To minimise this the time limit has been set at 12 months after a trainees CCT date which will give those in these groups sufficient time in which to submit an application. Other protected characteristic groups will not be affected by the implementation of the time limit.

Please click on the link to learn about important changes to teh RCPCH Written examinations from 2013
RCPCH Examination Information

Using social media: practical and ethical guidance for doctors and medical students

The popularity of social media has grown rapidly in recent years. There is widespread use of sites such as Facebook and Twitter amongst medical students and doctors and there are a growing number of well-established blogs and internet forums that are aimed specifically at medical professionals, such as doctors.net.uk and the BMJ’s doc2doc.

While many medical professionals use social media without encountering any difficulties, media interest and research into examples of unprofessional behaviour online have raised concerns that some doctors and medical students may be unknowingly exposing themselves to risk in the way they are using these ‘web 2.0’ applications and uploading personal material onto the internet. Although medical professionals should be free to take advantage of the many personal and professional benefits that social media can offer, it is important that they are aware of the potential risks involved.

This guidance (Using social media: practical and ethical guidance for doctors and medical students) provides practical and ethical advice on the different issues that doctors and medical students may encounter when using social media.

Trainee award ceremony

School of Paediatric Award Dinner - 27th September 2012, Engineers House Clifton Bristol

The application period for the MRCPCH Clinical examination 2012-3 October will close on Friday 24th August 2012.
If you are due to sit the MRCPCH Clinical, having passed all parts of the written MRCPCH papers, and wish to submit an application please ensure you have submitted it no later than Thursday 23rd August.

The 2012-3 October MRCPCH Clinical examinations are being held at centres across the UK from 16th to 20th October 2012.

Please refer to the 'How to apply' section of the RCPCH website - http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/training-examinations-professional-development/ex

aminations/mrcpch-clinical-updates/how-apply/how-ap

Please send completed applications to the address below.

MRCPCH Clinical Exams Team
RCPCH
5-11 Theobalds Road
London
WC1X 8SH

About the review

The Shape of Training Review is looking at potential reforms to the structure of postgraduate medical education and training across the UK.

The review’s aim is to make sure we

• continue to train effective doctors who are fit to practise in the UK
• provide high quality and safe care and
• meet the needs of patients and service now and in the future.

What the review will focus on

Five themes have been identified which the review will focus on.

• Workforce needs – specialists or generalists?
• The breadth and scope of training
• The needs of the health service
• The needs of the patient
• Flexibility of training

The review is the latest step on a journey to ensure UK medical education and training can support and respond to society’s needs in the best possible way.

Bristol Royal Hospital for Children

SIMULATED PAEDIATRIC LIFE-SUPPORT AND TRANSPORT COURSE

Wednesday 27th June 2012

A one-day simulation course for doctors and nurses – practice stabilising and transporting seriously-ill children in a safe, supportive environment!

The Simulated Paediatric Life-Support and Transfer (SPLAT) Course aims to provide training and experience for all those involved in the stabilisation and transfer of critically ill children.

Whether you work in an Emergency Department, Paediatric Ward or Intensive Care Unit, the course provides a fantastic opportunity to practice your resuscitation skills on state-of-the-art paediatric medical simulators.

The one-day course will combine sessions on child & infant simulators with lectures and small group workshops. Instruction is provided by an experienced faculty drawn from backgrounds in Paediatrics, PICU, Paediatric Anaesthesia and Transport Medicine & Nursing.

It is highly recommended for both medical and nursing staff of all grades, whether from a background in Paediatrics, Anaesthesia, Intensive Care or Emergency Medicine.

SPLAT has been designated for 6 CPD credits by both the RCPCH & RCoA.

Because of the intense nature of the instruction provided, places on the course are strictly limited. Early booking is recommended!

To Register, Contact:

Tel: 0117 342 0108

Fax: 0117 342 0123

Email: info@bmsc.co.uk

Log on to GMC online after 30th April to complete your survey; the survey closes on 15th June. 

Please go to the GMC website to find out more.

The NHS Medical Director's Clinical Fellow Scheme is open to application from doctors in training. In the past three years we have had two Severn trainees, Brett Rocos and Robert Bethune, obtain these sought-after positions. If interested, you can obtain further information from: http://www.fmlm.ac.uk/clinical-fellow-scheme

The closing date for application is 22nd March 2012 and the post starts on 3rd September 2012.

22nd - 24th May RCPCH Annual Conference

SECC Glasgow

Register now at  www.rcpch.ac.uk/conference2012

Check out the early booking discounts.

Work to centralise specialist children’s health services at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children (BRHC) reached a new milestone when builders complete the steel structure of the extension to the hospital. The extension is being built to accommodate services that will move from Frenchay Hospital.

Children’s neurosciences, scoliosis surgery, burns and plastic surgery services will move to the Children’s Hospital in 2014. All specialist inpatient children’s services in Bristol will then be located together. Dr Jacqueline Cornish, Head of the Division of Women’s and Children’s Services at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Bristol is proud to provide some of the best specialist children’s services in the country at both the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and at Frenchay Hospital. When inpatient services are located together on one site, we will further enhance the high quality care we provide. “The Children’s Hospital will also be in a position to become a nationally designated paediatric neurosurgery centre, cardiac surgical centre, the South West Principal Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Treatment Centre, and the complex scoliosis centre for the South West and beyond.

Frenchay Hospital has designation as a national children’s burn centre and that designation will move to the Children’s Hospital when services relocate here.” Dr Amber Young, Speciality Director for Specialist Paediatrics at North Bristol NHS Trust, said: “The joining together of both children’s inpatient facilities will allow Bristol to continue as one of the highest quality children’s services in the country and further afield.” Builders Laing O’Rourke laid the foundations for the extension in the summer. Now that the steel structure is complete they will make the extension watertight and begin fitting out the insides in time for services to move in 2014.

An extract taken from the “The Month : South - Monthly update for NHS leaders in NHS South of England

December 2011

The Bristol Medico-Chirurgical Society was established in 1874 for the advancement of the Art and Science of Medicine in all its branches. It has a long and rich tradition of encouraging the exchange of facts and fellowship between disparate members of the medical community. Each year the Society plays host to presentations and debates on topics of medical and allied interest to the annual theme chosen by the Society's President. Guest speakers are invited to talk on a wide variety of subjects.

Meetings are held at 6.45pm on the second Wednesday from October usually until July with an option for a reception and supper followed by a presentation at 8.15pm.

These lectures are suitable for trainees and faculty and would contribute to the Professional and Generic Skills programme that all colleagues undertake in their role as a doctor. The Severn Deanery supports this programme and would encourage all colleagues to attend.

For more details and the programme please visit the Bristol Med-Chi website.

Applications are invited for new appointees to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's, Trainee Doctors Advisory Board (TRAB) we are also looking for a medical student representative for the board, applications are therefore invited from students within 2 years of final qualification and junior doctors from all clinical specialities. This group was developed to encouraging doctors in training to become involved with the MHRA to represent the opinions and needs of junior doctors, promote an understanding of the regulation of Medicines and Medical Devices in the UK, and promote the dissemination of information regarding the Agency

The remit of this group is as follows:

1. Raise and discuss individual ideas to promote the safe use of medical devices and medicines.
2. Promote an understanding of the Medical Devices and Medicines Regulations.
3. Cultivate an understanding of the functions and working of the MHRA.
4. Promote a commitment to, and understanding of, the necessity for medical device adverse incident reporting and Yellow Card reporting.
5. Promote information and knowledge on the rational use of medicines and devices.
6. Promote the dissemination of MHRA’s publications and information.
7. Provide an opinion on MHRA’s publications and information, including content, presentation, format, delivery and necessity.
8. Provide assistance and guidance on how to ensure the above are carried out to greatest effect. This may be through lecturing, organising conferences, disseminating information, or developing networks with other junior doctor societies as necessary.
9. Provide the Agency with an insight of their needs, and the needs of all healthcare professionals they work with.
10. Provide input into arrangements for conferences and other outreach activities.
11. Consider the wider picture, including interactions with all Royal Colleges, professional bodies, hospital management and other relevant bodies.

The TRAB group meets twice a year and members are expected to contribute to various initiatives throughout the year.

How to apply

Interested applicants should forward a copy of their CV and a covering letter to TRAB@mhra.gsi.gov.uk

Closing date

31 January 2012

If you have any questions or require further information please email TRAB@mhra.gsi.gov.uk

Medicines and Healthcare
Regulatory Agency

Website

Device Safety Website

This is now fully underway and open for applications.  Please refer to our Recruitment - Vacancies page.