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Tuesday, 16 April 2013 13:41 |
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The 2013-14 QOF guidance is now available on the BMA website:
http://bma.org.uk/practical-support-at-work/contracts/independent-contractors/qof-guidance
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Study leave guidance for GP Trainees |
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Friday, 12 April 2013 08:21 |
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Study leave guidance for GP Trainees
Study leave enables trainees to direct their own learning, meet their educational needs as set out in their personal development plan, and cover the wide range of knowledge and skills required by the RCGP curriculum. This guidance note has been produced to provide GP trainees with the information they require for a broad understanding of their entitlements to study leave and how the process works.
National standards on study leave can be found in the GMC publication "Generic standards for specialty including GP training. September 2009, updated October 2010"
Deanery organised teaching as part of a GP training programme
GP training programmes tend to include regular teaching sessions to help trainees cover the curriculum. There are a number of non-standard terms that may be used across the deaneries to describe these deanery-organised locally-provided specialty-specific educational sessions. These teaching sessions may be funded by taking part of the individual trainee’s study budget allowance. Similarly, deanery or training programme organised training sessions are often taken from trainees study leave allocation. This may form a substantial part of the study leave allocation so trainees are advised to check with their deanery so they know how many days of study leave they have remaining.
The management of time away from the workplace for GP trainees
Trainees must be supplied with straightforward instructions on how to apply for study leave. This may be available online or trainees may be sent this information once they have been accepted onto a training programme.
The GMC publication "Generic standards for specialty including GP training. September 2009, updated October 2010 states:
6.19 - Trainees must be made aware how to apply for study leave and be guided as to appropriate courses and funding.
6.21 The process for applying for study leave must be fair and transparent, and information about a deanery-level appeals process must be readily available.
Approval is likely to be required for all study leave. Depending on local guidance, this may need to be sought from one or more of Training Programme Director (TPD), Educational Supervisor (ES) and Clinical Supervisor (CS). It is therefore advisable to make the request for study leave at the beginning of the placement or with an appropriate period of notice. It is good practice to seek support from your educational supervisor before you apply for study leave even when it is not mandatory. 2
It is important to plan study leave around clinical duties and rotas to ensure there is sufficient clinical cover and safe patient care. If any request cannot be supported because of service arrangements, it should still be submitted to help the programme director identify where further efforts may be needed in order to cater for the needs of trainees.
Where a trainee attends a course outside their working hours (e.g. at a weekend, or in the evening after work) this should not be deducted from their annual study leave entitlement.
Study leave request process
The TPD has a responsibility for all the educational activities that are considered to fall within the training programme. Trainees should expect to be released to attend educational sessions that are provided as part of the specialty training programme. Where attendance at any number of these sessions is mandated then any audit of applications for leave should reflect this.
Study leave is regulated and GP trainees should have employment contracts that stipulate annual study leave entitlement (for example 30 days per year). While study leave is described in terms of a number of days entitlement per year, most trainees will rotate through two or more placements per year when in hospital posts. It is therefore important for trainees to negotiate their study leave allocation across the year with their clinical and education supervisors, rota co-ordinators, medical staffing and the Postgraduate Medical Education Department.
Clinical cover will likely need to be arranged to cover study leave, either where the request is made in advance of the rota being allocated or to change a rota that has already been produced. Some types of rota arrangements may mean that there are limited options for trainees to swap shifts to attend events that are held on fixed dates.
As part of the request process, it may also be necessary to request fees and other expenses associated with a study event. Trainees should also be aware that they make have to book a place on some study events.
It is important that study leave is not be used to satisfy the employer’s requirements for mandatory training.
Auditing and GMC quality assurance
The GMC hopes their Quality Improvement Framework will align the efforts of different organisations. Quality assurance (QA) includes all the policies, standards, systems and processes in place to maintain and enhance the quality of medical education and training in the UK.
Standards, requirements and outcomes for GP specialty training are being aligned with foundation programmes and other specialties. These are included within the publication "The Trainee Doctor" for which a major review is planned for 2013. The current document can be found here. 3
2012 saw discussions about major revisions to the questions and indicators included in the National Survey of Trainee Doctors. Within the category of educational process, it was agreed that the indicator on study leave will be retained.
Many Annual Deanery Reports include comments about improving access to and reducing administrative delays concerning study leave.http://www.gmc-uk.org/education/annual_deanery_reports.asp
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BMA comment on Government Response to Francis Inquiry |
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Wednesday, 27 March 2013 13:55 |
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BMA comment on Government Response to Francis Inquiry
Commenting on the Health Secretary’s initial response to the Francis Inquiry report today, Dr Mark Porter, Chair of BMA Council, said:
“We share the Health Secretary’s commitment to greater openness and respect for the dignity of individual patients.
“Creating a culture of zero harm will depend on staff feeling able to speak out freely about poor care. Doctors already have clear professional duties to raise and act on concerns about patient safety. On the rare occasions when they do not, it is often because they are afraid of harassment by employers or colleagues. We share the Health Secretary’s concerns that the threat of criminal sanctions for individual staff would be counterproductive and risk creating a new climate of fear.”
Commenting on plans for a new inspection regime and ‘Ofsted-style’ ratings, Dr Porter said:
“The purpose of the inspection regime should be to ensure that NHS organisations are focusing on their primary mission – to provide safe, high-quality care. We need to avoid a system that encourages managers to focus unduly on ratings.
“It’s important that patients have access to information about the quality of services. However, most healthcare providers are extraordinarily complex organisations, and it is impossible to reduce everything they do to a single meaningful score. Even individual hospital departments and GP practices provide a wide range of different services.
“It is vitally important that we do not allow a ratings system to create a misleading picture of any hospital department or GP practice. This would be unhelpful to patients, as well as demoralising to staff.”
Ends
Note to editors
The BMA is committed to making the most of the opportunities for change presented by the Francis report. View details of BMA work relating to the Inquiry: http://bma.org.uk/working-for-change/shaping-healthcare/mid-staffordshire-inquiry
For further information please contact:
Steve Harman
Direct telephone: 020 7383 6512
Email:
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British Medical Association
BMA House
Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9JP
For out-of-hours press enquiries telephone : 020 7383 6254
Email :
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http://bma.org.uk/mediacentre
http://twitter.com/thebma
http://www.youtube.com/bmatv
http://www.flickr.com/thebma _______________________________________________________________________ |
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EARLY WARNING - REVALIDATION EVENT - MANCHESTER |
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Monday, 18 February 2013 11:48 |
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We wanted to bring to your attention an event we are holding in March, which is being co-sponsored by the GMC. The event is aimed at all Locum and sessional GP’s which will focus on revalidation.
Answering to the GMC:
What Locums need to Demonstrate for Revalidation?
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We are delighted to announce that we have an afternoon booked in Manchester with the GMC. We will provide food & beverages, and facilitate a workshop to discuss how you, as a Locum, can ensure that revalidation causes you the least problems. This event counts as CPD, and it is FREE for all locums who register through us. The event is co-sponsored by the GMC, and will be held, starting at 1pm in Manchester on Thursday 28th March. Book early to avoid disappointment (reply to this email –and we’ll get in touch with you). The aim is to reach a national audience of Locums, so if you have any friends, be sure they get to hear of this too – and come along with you.
DATE: 28th March 2013
TIME: 13:00
VENUE: Manchester
LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE!
Reserve your place now by emailing us at
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Alternatively please contact us on: 0844 335 1319
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Tuesday, 22 January 2013 12:58 |
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The BMA was among the first of the professional bodies to award grants and prizes to encourage and further medical research. Today, around ten research grants are administered under the auspices of the Board of Science, all funded by legacies left to the BMA. Grants totalling approximately £500,000 are awarded annually. Applications are invited from medical practitioners and/or research scientists and are for either research in progress or prospective research.
The 2013 research grants are now available to apply for online on the BMA website - www.bma.org.uk. The application deadline is 15 March 2013 at 5pm.
Subject specifications for each grant vary. For example, in 2013, research areas range from rheumatism and arthritis, cardiovascular disease and cancer to neurological disorders and terminal care. For more information on the grants on offer in 2013 and details of how to apply, please see: www.bma.org.uk/researchgrants
Please disseminate this information as widely as possible, in particular to any potential applicants.
If you have any questions about the BMA research grants, or would like to receive alerts about them, please contact Hugh Garnett at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or telephone 020 7383 6755.
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vacancies for lay members on Bristol CCG Board |
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Friday, 21 December 2012 12:23 |
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Please see below an opportunity to be a lay representative - if you are interested in this role please reply showing your interest via
http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/vacdetails.cgi?selection=913004936
We would like find two exceptional people to fill the two lay member roles on the governing body of Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). We appreciate that this is a holiday time, but any help you can give us in publicising this role amongst the range of voluntary and community sector organisations that you work with would be much appreciated. The closing date for applications is 7th January 2013.
The new Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group (which will take on most of the functions of NHS Bristol in April 2013), is looking to appoint two lay members, both are paid posts. This is an opportunity for individuals who have the relevant skills, experience and values - which may have been gained through active involvement in the voluntary and community sector - to play a leading role in the development of the clinical commissioning group.
Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group is seeking a Lay Member Governance, to bring strategic insight and impartiality to the governing body. The post holder will be expected to chair the Audit Committee. The time commitment is a maximum of 3 days per month and remuneration is £15,000 per annum. For more details of this post visit:
http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/vacdetails.cgi?selection=913005015
The second post is Lay Member Public and Patient Involvement. The aim of this post is to help ensure that, in all aspects of the CCG’s business, the public voice is heard and that opportunities are created and protected for patient and public engagement in the work of the CCG. This person will ensure that the CCG builds and maintains an effective relationship with the local HealthWatch and draws on existing patient and public engagement and involvement expertise. The time commitment is a minimum of 2 days per month and remuneration is £7,822 per annum. For more details of the post visit:
http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/vacdetails.cgi?selection=913004936
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Patient and Public Involvement Programme Lead
NHS Bristol (formerly known as Bristol PCT) |
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