British Medical Association
bma.org.uk
Confidential
Meeting held at Liverpool Medical Institution, Mount Pleasant, Liverpool L3
5SR
24 May 2011 at 6.30 pm
Mersey Junior Doctors'
Committee
Minutes
Present: Dr Andrew Collier (Chair), Dr Emilie Lewis (Hon Sec), Dr Matthew Cartwright-Terry, Dr Noah
Moran, Dr Aaron Mormora, Dr Faye Stockton, Dr Alex Silvester, Dr James Nash, Ms Eva Allen,
(BMA)
1) Apologies for absence:
Dr R. Graham, Dr D. Wright, Miss S. Somjee, Dr S Manley (SAS rep), Mrs A Saha, (BMA)
2) Minutes from previous meeting (15 February 2011) confirmed.
3) Matters Arising from Minutes
Concerns over the proposed uniforms for F1 doctors at RLUBH will be raised at the next LNC.
4) Chairman’s Report
Andrew Collier attended the COPMeD meeting. Concerns were raised about the future of medical
education and training. Andrew Collier also attended the BMA LNC and SpR/ST LNC.
Andrew Collier and Matthew Cartwright-Terry attended the BMA Special Representatives Meeting on
NHS reforms. In recent weeks it has been announced that there is to be a pause in the NHS reforms
white paper. The Government has launched a listening exercise. Concerns were raised regarding the
planned abolition of Deaneries and the implications this will have on junior doctors’ training and
education.
National JDC conference took place on 14 May 2011. Junior doctors remain ignorant about their
contractual rights. The BMA needs to improve junior doctors’ knowledge of their rights, through the
‘Know your contract, know your rights’ campaign.
Andrew Collier met with Lord Patel to discuss the potential impact that the proposed NHS reforms will
have on junior doctors’ training and education. Control over education and training must remain in
the hands of Deaneries and must not be given to individual employers. Lord Patel is to meet with PM
David Cameron to discuss junior doctors’ concerns.
5) RSASC/RCSC Report
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Concerns that the NHS reforms will lead to privatisation of the NHS and urgent amendments are
needed.
6) Local Issues
Countess of Chester has agreed to give junior doctors an extra day in lieu when Christmas day falls
on a weekend.
Regional and national concerns were raised via the JDC list server over bullying and intimidation of
Obstetrics and Gynaecology trainees. In particular the strategies used by seniors to convey risk
management concerns. This issue will be raised at the Mersey Obstetrics and Gynaecology trainees
committee.
LWH registrars have failed to receive 4 rest days over the past year. They are entitled to take these
days and the JDC advises that the LWH should offer additional pay or annual leave. A written
agreement between the trust and the registrars should be drafted.
RLUBH: Concerns that there are no healthy options in the staff canteen
Mersey Care. Poor recruitment of Psychiatry trainees in 2011 with only 7 trainees being appointed,
leaving 14 training posts unfilled. This will have a major impact on rotas. This is a national issue and
meetings have been arranged with the Royal college of Psychiatrists.
Arrowe Park. No concerns so far with the current monitoring of rotas. There have been changes
made to the issuing of death certificates, in particular difficulties contacting the hospital coroner. The
mess is very small. The health service circular gives recommendations for doctors’ mess. An
increase in the mess fees could pay for nicer mess facilities.
7) Election of a Mersey JDC Rep on the Mersey Deanery SpR/ST Committee
No rep elected.
8) Any Other Business
Concerns were raised over the inefficiencies of the Centre for Workforce Intelligence
Concerns raised over the number of junior doctors who are not members of the BMA. The Mersey
JDC feels that the BMA website is not user friendly and urgently needs redesigning. BMA news is
fragmented and there needs to be a new emphasis on the achievements that the BMA has made for
junior doctors.
9) Date of next meeting (AGM)
To be announced
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