NHS Education for Scotland
Minutes of the meeting of the Scottish Specialty Board for Training in Diagnostic Specialties held
at 11.00 am on Wednesday 17 September 2014 in Room 6, 2 Central Quay, 89 Hydepark Street,
Glasgow
Present: Dr Peter Johnston (PJ) (Chair), Dr Celia Aitken (CA) part meeting, Dr Raj Bhat (RB), Dr Daniel
Ho (DH), Dr John Hood (JH), Dr Wilma Kincaid (WK), Dr Marie Mathers (MM) deputising for Dr Paul
Fineron, Dr Shona Olson (SO), Dr David Summers (DS) part meeting.
In attendance: Ms Helen McIntosh (HM).
Apologies: Dr John Bremner (JB), Dr Paul Fineron (PF), Professor Stewart Fleming (SF), Dr Peter
Galloway (PG), Professor Graeme Houston (GH), Dr Ronald MacVicar (RM), Dr Hamish McRitchie
(HMcR), Professor Gillian Needham (GN), Professor Rowan Parks (RP), Ms Karen Shearer (KS), Ms
Janice Soroka (JS), Dr Jennifer Tolhurst (JT), Dr Emma Watson (EW), Dr Jonathan Weir-McCall (JWM).
Item
Action
1.
Welcome and apologies
The Chair welcomed all to the meeting and apologies were noted.
2.
Minutes of meeting held on 9 July 2014
The minutes were approved as a correct record of the meeting and will be
posted on the website.
3.
3.1
Matters arising/actions from previous meeting
Membership update
The Chair welcomed Dr Raj Bhat (RB) to his first meeting as EoS Radiology
representative. He will seek confirmation of a NoS replacement
representative and also a replacement lay representative. He noted
recruitment for lay representatives was currently taking place.
3.2
ST6 Paediatric Radiology post
Following discussion the STB agreed it would be helpful to establish
Fellowship posts which would provide training posts for the development of
trainees and for the benefit of the service. PJ noted there was precedent for
this ie Remote and Rural GP Fellowships. He will highlight the STB proposal
in his report to MDET.
3.2
Influencing the Histopathology undergraduate curriculum: update
PJ noted the recent survey of undergraduates in Pathology training which
produced a list of what undergraduates should be exposed to in training.
The research was well organised and he hoped it will soon be published.
3.3
Conclusion of Reshaping Project
PJ acknowledged the helpful input to specialty data from Dr Tom Taylor for
Radiology and information provided by Dr Lee Jordan for Histopathology and
by the Managed Pathology Network. He thanked all for their input. HM will
check the status of the information sent to MDET for its response to Scottish
Government. To date no new funding has been received for Diagnostics
specialties other than that for the 2 Interventional Radiology posts. PJ also
noted the report submitted on behalf of the Diagnostics Steering Group’s
PJ
PJ
HM
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short life working group which had produced no apparent result or action.
Noted: the Reshaping Project was now concluded.
3.4
Scottish Shape of Training Transition Group: Terms of Reference
The document was received for information. PJ will highlight concerns
around consultation in his MDET update report.
3.5
Future of National Recruitment
PJ’s response to the College stated that as an advisory body the STB could
not comment on the email. He had encouraged TPDs as individuals to
respond directly to the College email.
3.6
Higher Specialist Scientist (HSST) training in NHS Scotland update - for
information
Discussion at previous meeting was noted.
4.
Scottish Training Survey (STS)
Niall MacIntosh (NM), NES Quality Improvement Manager, highlighted the
work of the survey. This has replaced PAQs and will be conducted at the
end of post using Pinnacle extracts for trainee data. The survey was piloted
last year and questions revised. It ran this year in July and August and
although not compulsory participation was encouraged and it had an 83%
response rate. The survey was still being refined and a Quality Improvement
Data Manager will be appointed later in the year to take the work forward.
PJ
Core questions were now set and they were seeking suggestions from STBs
on specialty specific areas – suggestions received so far included Educational
Supervisor input; the number of clinics attended in Geriatric Medicine
training; experience in specific areas such as clinical trials and
chemotherapy. This was an indicator based survey and if required one could
be added to the survey for Diagnostics specialties. He noted awareness that
trainees in some specialties did not leave post until the end of training and
hoped that the replacement system for Pinnacle will allow the survey to be
sent once per year and in future as an automatic process.
Space for free text response was available. While all responses made to the
survey were anonymous if particular issues were flagged trainees could be
asked if they were happy to be identified to allow these to be taken further.
WK noted the Royal College of Radiology conducted its own annual regional
survey which produced good data. NM said that while not wishing to create
extra surveys he asked for feedback to him or PJ on any specific areas
specialties would like explored. Once the QI Data Manager was in post it
was hoped to run the STS in February 2015 so any comments and issues
flagged up in the next month would be helpful to allow questions to be
worked up for inclusion. A reporting tool was being developed which will be
web based and based on Indicators.
It was agreed to ask specialty leads to circulate requests for specialty specific
areas to include in the STS - JH and Pota Kalima for Medical Microbiology;
JH/PK,
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PG for Chemical Pathology; CA for Virology and SO for Radiology. PJ will also
ask Histopathology leads to discuss it at the leads meeting arranged for later
in the afternoon. Feedback to be sent to PJ/HM by the beginning of
November.
5.
Recruitment update
PJ asked TPDs to consider recruitment numbers per specialty/per
programme by the end of September and to send information to PJ for
discussion at the next STB meeting. He will continue to make the case for an
increase in numbers.
PJ will check with MDET what the process was regarding Inter Deanery
Transfer/Inter Regional Transfer relating to ST1.
6.
Scottish Medical Training Careers Fair 2014
PJ stressed the need to ensure materials were available on the specialty
stand on the day. Training Ambassadors will be present and participate in
the event. The event will be reviewed and a decision made on whether it
will become an annual event.
7.
Decommissioning the 3 subspecialties of Histopathology
PJ confirmed Neuropathology, Paediatric Pathology and Forensic Pathology
were now specialties rather than subspecialties. However as there were still
people in existing programmes these could not be decommissioned until
they finished training and this could take some time. There was no
suggestion of people transferring to the new specialty curriculum and so this
should provide reassurance for those subspecialty trainees.
8.
8.1
Update reports
Liaison Dean
PJ reported on GN’s behalf there were no particular issues to raise.
8.2
Histopathology
PJ noted an issue in NoS relating to Neuropathology. As NHS Grampian had
not filled the post it was not possible to train some early year parts of the
curriculum in NoS and training was being provided in Edinburgh instead.
This has raised some issues regarding travelling expenses for attending
compulsory training. The training itself carried no fee and the only cost was
travel and subsistence. RB said that Dundee had a similar arrangement and
it provided funding for expenses from the departmental budget. As part of
the curriculum this should not come from the study leave budget.
8.3
Radiology
No additional information was received.
8.4
Medical Microbiology
JH reported on the meeting held in WoS on 22 August to discuss with ID
colleagues the implementation of the agreed curriculum which has been
approved for August 2015. Every ID trainee will spend a year in Medical
Microbiology/Virology and vice versa in the first 2 years of training.
Recommendations from the meeting were:
PG, CA,
SO, PJ
TPDs
PJ
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




National Programme – West/East.
Application to GMC for programme as soon as possible – particularly for
new sites to accommodate new trainees in ID.
National TPD – appointed from the 3 specialties – however this was not
a new specialty but a new curriculum and there will be no common CCT.
Strong support for recruitment to dual training – no single specialty
training posts however an extra year in GIM/ID which had financial and
service implications.
Triple CCTs – would this be allowed as there was no support from the
College.
PJ said felt it would be logical to have one national Scottish programme with
one TPD plus local programme leads instead of TPDs in each area. The
programme will comprise 41-42 people so could easily split into 2
programmes however as smaller units sat underneath training could
become fragmented. He felt it would be easier to co-ordinate one structure
rather than 2 in terms of programme design. Ultimately MDET would decide
based on advice from the STB.
The recommendation from the STB was agreed – a national programme with
one TPD and local arrangements and local role to be defined. JH will discuss
the recommendation with colleagues and how to put in place local
arrangements.
JH
In terms of recruitment, the decision on which programme individuals were
placed in would take place at recruitment at Year 1 requiring confirmation of
the number of places for February 2015. Runthrough Medicine had
followed a similar model based on numbers required for HST however this
had proved difficult due to the number of people who dropped out of
programme, failed exams or moved into other specialty training. It was
agreed that for 2015 recruitment the advice of the STB was to recruit to a
combined output and all trainees to be dual eg ID/GIM or ID/Virology. There
were 2 posts in EoS in ID/Virology to recruit to this would not be an issue. PJ PJ
will include this in his MDET update report. This would mean that existing
trainees would not be able to undertake ID or Acute Medical take.
JH confirmed that those in transitional arrangements would continue with
the assessment process for their current programme and those in the new
curriculum will undertake whatever was the required assessment.
8.5
8.6
8.7
8.8
8.9
8.10
Virology
Chemical Pathology and Metabolic Medicine
Trainees
Academic issues
Service issues
Lay representative
No additional updates were received.
9.
9.1
AOB
TPD appointment
WK reported the appointment of TPDs in Paediatric Pathology and Forensic
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Pathology and suggested consideration of STB representation.
9.2
Paediatric Pathology recruitment
WK noted there was a recruitment crisis in Paediatric Pathology; the new
TPD has produced information on retirals etc.
9.3
ARCP consistency
WK reported that in interviewing for IR subspecialty posts it became
apparent that ARCP outcomes varied between different parts of the country.
She felt it would be helpful to have a structure for what was required for
ARCP and an outcome template to be used across all Scotland. SO noted the
Royal College of Radiology had a decision aid for ARCPs however this was
guidance only. It was agreed she will bring the decision aid to the next STB
meeting for discussion and seek evidence from TPDs regarding ARCP
consistency.
SO
Noted: Radiology representatives agreed it would be useful to re-instate
Scottish Radiology TPD meetings.
10.
Date and time of next meeting
It was agreed to change the date of the next arranged meeting on 5
November 2014.
[Subsequently the meeting was cancelled – the next meeting will take place
at 10.30 am on Tuesday 16 December 2014 in Forest Grove House,
Foresterhill, Aberdeen (with videoconference facilities).
The STB agreed to reduce the frequency of meetings in 2015 to 6 meetings
per year and to reduce the number of face-to-face meetings to one per year.
Summary of actions arising from the meeting
Item no
3.
3.1
Item name
Matters arising/actions from
previous meeting
Membership update
3.2
ST6 Paediatric Radiology post
3.3
3.4
Conclusion of Reshaping Project
Scottish Shape of Training
Transition Group: Terms of
Reference
Scottish Training Survey (STS)
4.
Action
Who
To seek confirmation of NoS replacement
representative and replacement lay
representative.
To highlight the STB proposal for
establishment of Fellowship posts in MDET
report.
To check status of MDET response.
To highlight concerns around consultation
in MDET report.
PJ
Specialty leads to circulate requests for
specialty specific areas to include in the
STS; to ask Histopathology leads to discuss
at meeting later in the afternoon.
Feedback to be sent to PJ/HM by the
beginning of November.
JH/PK,
PG, CA,
SO, PJ
PJ
HM
PJ
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Diagnostics STB/Minutes of meeting held on 17 September 2014
NHS Education for Scotland
5.
Recruitment update
8.
8.4
Update reports
Medical Microbiology
9.
9.3
AOB
ARCP consistency
To consider recruitment numbers per
specialty/per programme by the end of
September and send information to PJ for
discussion at the next STB meeting.; to
check IDT/IRT process with MDET.
TPDs
To discuss STB’s advice re programme and
local arrangements with colleagues; to
highlight in MDET report.
JH
PJ
To bring the RCR decision aid to next STB
meeting for discussion; to seek evidence
from TPDs regarding ARCP consistency.
SO
PJ
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Diagnostics STB/Minutes of meeting held on 17 September 2014