Notes of the NES Healthcare Science Advisory Group
Date: Friday 29th May 2015
Time: 11am - 1pm
Venue: NES HQ, Westport 102 /Present:
AC Adrian Carrager (Clinical Physiology – Audiology / Ayrshire & Arran HB)
AS Andy Stone (Perfusion – service)
CDeP Christine DePlacido (HEI - clinical physiology (QMU))
CMcN Carlyn McNab (FE / Stow College) CHAIR
CW Catherin Wilson (Trainee rep – early career)
EG Elaine Gribben (HEI – Clinical Physiology (GCU))
HA Heather Ambler (Clinical physiology service)
HG Helen Grant (HEI- physical sciences(Strathclyde))
HR Helen Raftopolous (Scottish Funding Council)
JC John Colvin (Chair Scottish Forum for Healthcare Science)
KS Karen Stewart (Scottish Government - Healthcare Science Officer)
KT Kerry Tinkler (Academy for Healthcare Science)
LJ Linda Jones (HEI – life sciences)
RF Rob Farley (NES Healthcare Science Programme Director)
SP Steve Pye (Physical Sci - Clinical Physics)
Invitee: JMcK John McKinlay (NES Training Development Support Unit)
Notes: Rob Farley
Apologies
Lynsey Lauder (Workforce)
David Felix (NES Dental Dean)
Jacqui Lunday (Chief Health Professions Officer)
Bill Brash (Clinical Technology)
1 / Welcome and ApologiesCMcN welcomed all and emphasised time keeping as the was large agenda
Apologies – noted above.
2 / Minutes of previous meeting – 31st Jan 2014
Accepted without revision. No matters arising not covered in today’s meeting.
Advisory Group Terms of Reference
RF introduced a revised TOR for this group, which had not been revised since 2008. Accepted without further revision
3 / HCS Programme Director’s update (Paper: Discussion Note 1)
RF tabled an update on 2014 activities and plan for 2015.
RF cited physiology support, postgraduate sponsorship, events, our short course offer and engagements with Scottish Government and UK agencies and plans for a new quality management function (item 7).
Regards physiology practitioner support, CDeP enquired as to the scope of the support. RF responded that it includes Yr 1 QMU hearing aid dispenser courses where services elect to send trainees there and that NES had no preference as to the provider. RF did acknowledge that there was an appetite from service for an NHS practitioner-level trainees as per the model as envisaged by GCU.
JC asked about the reach of the new Specialty Leads team at NES particularly for newer or smaller specialties. RF replied that much of the quality management work was generic, and that where there we find particular issues in a specialty then we would call on our existing network for advice.
KS raised the issue of modern apprenticeships, and suggested that it was a gap in our activity. Echoed by HA. EG pointed out that the GCU programme already offered ‘step-off’ for assistants, associates and practitioners. HA thought the levelling of this approach needed revisiting; AC suggested that there was some variation in the definition of what assistant staff does across the Boards. KS suggested a need to determine what level of interest in MAs and who is using them. HR cited existing NES scoping work for other professions as useful starting point. / ACTION
RF explore the possibility of a group to investigate MAs and assistants, perhaps once the Specialty Leads team is in place and settled.
4 / Postgraduate Scientist Trainees (Paper: Discussion Note 2)
RF tabled a summary of the current postgraduate scientist cohort. We anticipate 35 – 40 awards from a field of 58. RF alluded to the trajectory for STP supernumerary trainees present in Scotland this being 2013 (3); 2014(15); 2015 (27) and 2016(50).
The primary enquiry was to ask the group how to improve awareness and ‘equity’ of allocation of the few supernumerary posts we have. RF reported alerting workforce leads in 2014, which did not really yield much of a response – the suggestion being that the connection with local healthcare science departments was not robust enough for a meaningful cascade of information.
JC challenged the notion of ‘equity’ and suggested that having clear workforce information was the essential ingredient missing from the process. AC and AS agreed that that alerting Board HCS leads to the possibility of supernumerary support was the best available option in terms of cascading information through the system.
JC suggested there was still a need to establish HCS leads in some Boards. KS agreed and explained that her team was active in this area as Leads were essential to the implementation of the National Delivery Plan (item 9) / ACTION
RF consider alerting HCS Leads to supernumerary traineeships coupled with a NES system to grade and prioritise
5 / Academy for Healthcare Science Mapping Scottish training
KT Summarised for the Group the mapping exercise commissioned by NES for AHCS to look at the alignment between Scottish training and STP / PTP. The work was completed at the end of 2014 and is published on the NES and AHCS websites. KS thought the exercise had been useful in getting schemes in Scotland thinking about alignment with PTP and STP.
KS ask specifically about two groups in the life sciences that showed low correspondence with STP. RF indicated that both had moved to STP.
6 / Academy for Healthcare Science update
KT gave an update on current Academy work including the outputs from the Academy’s senior Leadership Group; AHCS Congress (Dec 2015) with NES; the AHCS register which is now PSA-approved; STP equivalence applications; more recent PTP equivalence; and the imminence of HSST equivalence.
There was also a short discussion on the service accreditation work of the Academy, including an iCEPSS (improving Clinical Engineering and Physical Sciences Services) pilot in Scotland, and likewise for IQIPS (Improving Quality in Physiological Services).
AS asked about equivalence and registration, with reference to clinical; perfusion. KT indicated that in the absence of an STP curricula then equivalence was impossible. Discussion with the College and Society of Perfusionists stalled a while ago: KT hoped that the dialogue could be restarted soon. AS also asked what the intention was regards AHCS’s Register; KT responded that statutory regulation of its registrants was the objective.
7 / Quality management of HCS training
RF outlined the reasons why it has become necessary to introduce a quality management function into NES Healthcare Science. Essentially, the introduction of STP and the Academy’s role as ‘education provider’ for STP require monitoring of practice placements and admissions by NES. The requirement to do so is traceable to HCPC’s standards of Education and Training. Coupled with NES’s approach to a wider postgraduate scientist constituency, we anticipate such monitoring to be across this community wherever NES resources are taken.
RF outlined our principles underpinning admissions and practice placement and our approach to special measures should our self-assessments reveal areas of concern. RF stated that these are posted on the HCS Trainees/Supervisors community of practice on the Knowledge Network. Essentially they form a basic rule book for postgraduate training.
RF reported that Specialty Leads were being recruited. These are sessional posts covering HCS themes. Uptake has been mixed, but that four were ready to start at NES and could probably cover HCS.
JC questioned how ‘quality’ could be measured, and whether the approach in Scotland to service and roles was different to elsewhere. RF responded that our self assessment was refined from an existing NES practice placement self-assessment and had been shared with AHCS and the National School, and the in principle we are both obliged to monitor training environments. AC thought the language in the Principles was generic and 4-country applicable. CdeP asked if professional body involvement was part of this move. RF responded that the new NES quality management function was generic to all branches of healthcare science and was necessary. RF stated that professional bodies would still have a role in specialty support to departments where warranted, but that some had withdrawn this function following the introduction of STP; echoed by KT.
CW asked whether there would be an independent and confidential survey of trainees in parallel with department self-assessments. RF thought this was a sound idea, and cited the problems at Vale of Leven Hospital whereby a retrospective analysis of trainees’ experience revealed causes for concern at the time clinical problems there were unfolding. RF asked CW to think about some questions a trainee might expect to be asked.
KT indicated that the existing self assessment did not reference ‘Good Scientific Practice’ – noted by RF. / ACTION
RF to ask CW to think about a short question set for trainees
RF to progress further draft of the self assessment
8 / Programme support from NES – Trainees in Difficulty update
JMcK indicated that NES was piloting this new offer on 15th June at COSLA in Edinburgh. The programme cites the HCS Special Measures Principles. From and educational perspective it articulates with our existing Train-the-Trainer, and is based on ideas around communication and conflict resolution. Theer after the programme would feature on NES Portal alongside our other CPD opportunities for Healthcare Science.
RF invited colleagues to alert interested parties to help with the pilot. EG asked if the programme is open to any supervisor, not just postgrads, RF and JMcK responded that it was. / ACTION
RF JMcK Progress dates for full implementation
9 / Scottish Government Healthcare Science National Delivery Plan
KS reported that the Scottish Healthcare Science National Delivery Plan 2015-2020 was launched on 11th May. The plan comprises 5 implementation deliverables and the focus is now on NHS Boards. KS welcomed comment from HEI reps in helping shape the implementation.
9 / Communications
RF confirmed a Summer newsletter has been circulated recently (issue 10) and that we run websites detailed in the Programme Director update papers.
10 / Membership / Composition of the Advisory Group
CMcN drew the group’s attention to the current membership, noting that the last meeting was 12 months ago. RF asked if members ordinarily stepping down at this stage could remain on the committee for one further meeting on account of our quality management work just beginning / ACTION
RF contact existing committee with revised term of membership where necessary
11 / AOB
KS enquired about Public Health Scientists and their status a Healthcare Scientist. KT indicated that discussion were underway with the professional body regards an STP, which – once available – would allow existing staff to apply for equivalence
12 / Date of next meeting
CMcN advised this would be in around 8 months, pending the establishment of the Specialty Leads team and progress in the new quality management work / ACTION
RF to progress DONM and advise
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