Minutes of the meeting of the Mental Health Specialty Training Board held at 10.30 am on Friday 20 January 2012 in the Boardroom, Lister Postgraduate Institute, 11 Hill Square, Edinburgh
Present: Susan Miller (SM) Chair, Steve Birrell (SBi), Roger Blake (RB), David Brown (DBro), Lisa Collin (LC), Alastair Cook (AC), Sandra Duke (SD), Stephen Lawrie (SL), Kathy Leighton (KL), Rhiannon Pugh (RPu), John Russell (JRu).
Apologies: Dik Athawes (DA), Daniel Bennett (DBe), Geraldine Bienkowski (GB), Margaret Bremner (MB), Pauline Browell-Hook (PBH), Tom Brown (TB), Ashley Catto (AC),Stella Clark (SC), John Crichton (JC), Kate Darbyshire (KD), Euan Easton (EE), Tracey Hicks (TH), Patricia Leiser (PL), Johan Leuvennink (JL), Robin McGilp (RMcG), Ronald MacVicar (RM), Siobhan Murphy (SMur), Gillian Needham (GN), Peter Rice (PR), Karen Shearer (KS), John Taylor (JT), Judy Thomson (JT), Sally Winning (SW).
In attendance: Helen McIntosh (HM).
1. / Welcome and apologiesApologies were noted.
2. / Minutes of meeting held on 4 November 2011
The minutes were accepted as a correct record of the meeting and will be posted on the website.
3. / Matters arising
3.1 / NES response to Mental Health Strategy consultation: update
SM reported she, RP and SMur had produced information for inclusion in the NES response. Once she receives the final draft of the NES response; she will circulate it to the board.
The board agreed it should make its own response to the document, focusing on Outcome 11which was concerned with training, to include:
- funding for Aspergers and developmental disorders
- to propose that posts being disestablished should go into core
- the need to look at the direction of Psychotherapy training/service need; strong lobbying for Psychotherapy for complex disorders
- general work to reduce stigma of Psychiatry training and improving access to earlier training and promoting Psychiatry to undergraduates
- to note the longevity of people with Learning Disabilities was increasing and impact on services
- to note the impact of the Dementia agenda.
AC noted the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotlandwill provide a short response to the consultation; this will focus on strategy with high level proposals. This document was presently in draft and will be finalised by the end of next week.
The outcome of the consultation was due to appear in February 2012.
Action:
- SM to circulate final draft of NES consultation to board members when received.
- SM to draft a brief specialty board response to the consultation; to circulate to board members for agreement.
3.2 / Second recruitment round: update
The proposal for a second recruitment round for ST4 had been approved by SRDB. This will take place after CASC and interview dates will vary. This was good news for trainees as if they failed the exam they would get another chance and was also helpful for service as there would be staggered intake.
DB reported TH did not have access to CT1 Deanery preferences; SM will speak to TH for clarification of this.
It was noted there was no UK national offers system in place for this year.
Action:
- SM to speak to TH regarding access to CT1 Deanery preferences.
3.3 / Update from HR re trainee/specialty doctor representative query
LC had previously proposed that information on trainees where there were no issues and if they were already aware of their first placement, could be sent earlier to the employing Health Board. HM agreed to ask TH to discuss this with HR colleagues and also to request circulation of the HR recruitment timetable.
Action:
- HM to ask TH to discuss proposal with HR colleagues and also to request circulation of HR timetable to the specialty board.
3.4 / STARG representation on STB
SM reported TB will be continuing College work after his retiral later this year and was keen to continue his membership of the board. HM will check with TB the status of STARG representation on the board.
Action:
- HM to check with TB regarding STARG representation on the board.
3.5 / Foundation experience in Psychiatry
AC said it was likely there would be pressurefor Foundation doctors to have senior cover when ‘on call’. This was already the case in Accident and Emergency departments. SM said the board had previously discussed this and agreed it was acceptable for Psychiatry as long as there was a named senior nurse present. SM noted this will be discussed at the next Collegemeeting; there is a presentation about FY training in Psychiatry. It was noted that a study reported in the BMJ, showed “hospital at night” schemes were seen as positive by FY trainees in Psychiatry. Meantime, this will remain on the agenda.
Action:
- Agenda item for April meeting.
3.6 / Restructuring Medical Training: short life working groups
SM reported the meeting of the Mental Health short life working group had been an interesting one. SM noted she had invited Dr Moira Connolly from SGHD to join the short life working group; although she was unable to do this she will have sight of itsdraft report and will add information as appropriate.
The group discussed 3/4 year programmes and agreed that as training was competency based they should retain flexibility and the 4th year would not be viewed as a remedial year. SM will add this to her report.
SM will circulate a draft report of the meeting to those in the group for agreement and then to all specialty board members before submitting it to Dr Mike Watson by 27 January 2012.
RB considered the specialty should be allowed to advertise more widely; he agreed to provide a paper outlining the reasons for GN to take to MDET.
Action:
- SM to draft report of short life working group meeting; to circulate to group members for agreement and to all board members for information; to submit report to Dr Mike Watson by 27 January 2012.
- RB to produce a paper outlining reasons for advertising more widely; to send to GN for consideration by MDET.
3.7 / GMC Trainee Survey: Psychiatry data and Developments on enhanced ARCPs and revalidation
It was agreed to keep these items on the agenda for future meetings.
Action:
- Agenda items for future meetings.
3.8 / Annual HST Trainers Day and WoS Trainee audit on experience of Psychotherapy
It was agreed to keep these items on the agenda for the next meeting.
Action:
- Agenda items for April meeting.
3.9 / Potential links with Management Training Day initiative
It was agreed to keep this item on the agenda for the next meeting.
Action:
- GN/Anne Dickson/John McKinlay/JT to consider potential links.
4. / Dementia agenda
In GB’s absence, the item was deferred to the next meeting.
Action:
- Agenda item for April meeting.
5. / Recruitment team update
DB updated the board on the current situation:
- 80 applications for CT1 received and reduced to 70 approx after shortlisting.
- Number of posts was 31 (indicative only as on the website); approval for more but waiting for results of CASCs and hoped numbers will be released after 17 February. Taken together with people leaving total numbers for recruitment should be around 50 eventually.
There were also a number of people who required to be competitively allocated; 15 in total although the number was dependent on CASC results (issued 17 February; allocation to take place 24 February). Once allocated any remaining posts will go to open competition. An explanation of the process will be posted on the website so all concerned will be aware of what was being done. ST4 open competition interviews will take place at the end of March.
SM noted there will be a session on recruitment at next week’s College meeting.
Action:
- DB will check with TH whether the system would allow CT1 posts to be re-offered. If approved, LC/DB and SB will check what information to circulate to candidates.
6. / Workforce
SM noted she was currently working on a report which followed trainees appointed in 2008 on where they were now and their career progression. She will circulate the report to the specialty board once completed. This work will be repeated year on year. She noted the picture for the specialty was similar to that in other specialties eg Medicine/Paediatrics.
Action:
- SM to circulate audit report to board members once completed.
6.1 / Management of training numbers: 2012
RP said she was currently negotiating in SES to increase numbers from 10-12 and has been told locally that disestablished posts will go into core. She agreed to contact Jean Allan, NES Executive Manager, for up-to-date information on training numbers. She will then email this information to RB and SM.
SM reported she attended a meeting held the previous day and arranged by Dr Brian Cowan on ‘Reshaping the Medical Workforce – Improving the Process for 2012/13’. STB Chairs, Regional Workforce Directors and NES Management had all attended and considered the process and how it could be improved. Discussion had included disengagement with workforce planning; TAI and the need to concentrate instead on outcome; new specialties and whether Scotland adopted them and how funded.
Action:
- RP to contact Jean Allan for up-to-date information on training numbers; to email information received to RB and SM.
7. / ARCP sub group update
JR reported the group had met before Christmas to discuss ARCP processes. The group concluded that processes varied but was content they were sufficiently robust to assess trainee progression and agreed there should be a commonality of checklists but not a need for these to be the same. Currently they were changing core paperwork and he will issue this to people on request.
It was agreed to consider mapping the curriculum to competencies as an agenda item for the April meeting.
Action:
- Agenda item for April meeting: mapping the curriculum to competencies.
8. / Heads of School meetings: note of meeting held on 15 December 2011
Notes of the meeting were circulated for information. Exam paper results information was tabled to the board for information.
Regarding the statement on CT3s; SM said, in discussion, Scotland will award an Outcome 2 if no exam papers by end of CT2, and if after six months there was no progress, will then award an Outcome 3.
9. / Updates
9.1 / Liaison Dean/MDET update
SM and SMur had produced a paper on Psychotherapy for MDET. MDET had informally approved the ‘rule of thirds’ for future trainees. SM will write to Professor Alastair McGowan as lead Dean for the specialty asking him for official confirmation. She will also add this to her update report for the next joint MDET/DME/STB Chairs meeting in February.
Actions:
- SM to write to Professor Alastair McGowan seeking official confirmation of the approval of ‘rule of thirds’ in Psychotherapy.
- SM to include ‘rule of thirds’ in her update report to next MDET/DME/STB Chairs meeting in February.
9.2 / Deanery and Specialty updates
Child and Adolescent
KL noted an issue regarding out of hours for WoS trainees and the suggestion by service that all HSTs in all specialties should join rota as second on call ie one rota only. She believed this has been adopted by some Deaneries and considered this was not a difficulty or issue from a curriculum perspective.
NoS
RB highlighted the issue in NoS where trainees appointed left the Deanery and created gaps and will ask Dr Annie Ingram, NoS Workforce Director and GN to highlight the benefits of training in NoS.
9.3 / College update
AC reported the College was promoting leadership and management sessions with the emphasis on quality.
9.4 / Service update – service representatives
No update report was received.
9.5 / Academic update
SL reported that 3 appointments have been made across the Mental Health specialties; two people have still to pass CASC before taking up post. If they do pass they will start ST4 in Autumn and will re-enter at ST5 after they have completed 3 years PhD study. Study leave will be used by individuals for any travel required around Scotland.
SM noted academic training posts for Core programmes in Glasgow developed by GlasgowUniversity. There were 9 across a range of specialties and one for Psychiatry for which people will be invited to apply. This would boost the academic profile of Psychiatry.
SL added they were also looking at creating 6 month slots on rotations for academically inclined trainees; RP felt this could be a good use of disestablished posts.
9.6 / Regional planning update
SM advised the board that Patricia Leiser has been appointed HR Director in Ayrshire and will not retain her link to the specialty board. It has been agreed among the Regional Workforce Directors that Dr Annie Ingram will succeed Patricia Leiser as the Mental Health specialty board representative. SM will contact Dr Ingram to formally invite her to join the specialty board.
Action:
- SM to contact Dr Annie Ingram to formally invite her to join the specialty board.
9.7 / Trainee/Specialty doctor update
SB reported that new publications on Psychiatry have been produced and made available for medical students. He also noted the Edinburgh Psychiatry Society has been disbanded however his colleague, Dr PrathaGangopadhyay, which whom in future he will share representation on the specialty board, was planning to develop a replacement society. He also noted he was encouraging engagement with the College Student section on the website.
9.8 / STARG
No update report was received.
10. / Received for information
No items were received for information.
11. / AOB
11.1 / Quality Review remit for specialty training board
Board members agreed their willingness to engage with this and will begin by considering: GMC survey results; ARCP outcomes; SM’s audit (as noted under item 6); exam results. This will be a standing agenda item.
Action:
- Standing agenda item.
12. / Date of next meeting
The next meeting will take place at 10.30 am on Friday, 27 April 2012 in the Timbury room, 2CQ, Glasgow –videoconference facilities available.
13. / Dates and venues of future meetings
The plan previously discussed to hold the June meeting in Perth had not proved successful as had attempts to move this to the November meeting. There was also a clash with the agreed November meeting date.
Following discussion it was agreed to make some amendments to future meeting dates and venues:
- 25 June at 11.00 am in AshludieHospital – to be confirmed
- 10 September at 10.30 am in the Boardroom, Lister PG Institute, Edinburgh (with VC)
- November date and venue to be confirmed.
Actions arising from the meeting
Item no / Item name / Action / Who3.1 / NES response to Mental Health Strategy consultation: update / To circulate final draft of NES consultation to board members when received.
To draft a brief specialty board response to the consultation; to circulate to board members for agreement. / SM
SM
3.2 / Second recruitment round: update / To speak to TH regarding access to CT1 Deanery preferences. / SM
3.3 / Update from HR re trainee/specialty doctor representative query / To ask TH to discuss proposal with HR colleagues and also to request circulation of HR timetable to the specialty board. / HM
3.4 / STARG representation on STB / To check with TB regarding STARG representation on the board. / HM
3.5 / Foundation experience in Psychiatry / Agenda item for April meeting. / SM/HM
3.6 / Restructuring Medical Training: short life working groups / To draft report of short life working group meeting; to circulate to group members for agreement and to all board members for information; to submit report to Dr Mike Watson by 27 January 2012.
To produce a paper outlining reasons for advertising more widely; to send to GN for consideration by MDET. / SM/ Group members/ STB
RB/GN
3.7 / GMC Trainee Survey: Psychiatry data and Developments on enhanced ARCPs and revalidation / Agenda items for future meetings. / SM/HM
3.8 / Annual HST Trainers Day and WoS Trainee audit on experience of Psychotherapy / Agenda items for April meeting. / SM/HM
3.9 / Potential links with Management Training Day initiative / To consider potential links. / GN/Anne Dickson/John McKinlay/JT
4. / Dementia agenda / Agenda item for April meeting. / SM/HM
5. / Recruitment team update / To check with TH whether the system would allow CT1 posts to be re-offered. If approved, to check what information to circulate to candidates. / DB, LC/DB and SB
6. / Workforce / To circulate audit report to board members once completed. / SM
6.1 / Management of training numbers: 2012 / To contact Jean Allan for up-to-date information on training numbers; to email information received to RB and SM. / RP
7. / ARCP sub group update / Agenda item for April meeting: mapping the curriculum to competencies / JR
9.1 / Liaison Dean/MDET update / To write to Professor Alastair McGowan seeking official confirmation of the approval of ‘rule of thirds’ in Psychotherapy.
To include ‘rule of thirds’ in her update report to next MDET/DME/STB Chairs meeting in February. / SM
SM
9.6 / Regional planning update / To contact Dr Annie Ingram to formally invite her to join the specialty board. / SM
11.1 / Quality Review remit for specialty training board / Standing agenda item / SM/HM
1