CONTINUING MEDICAL AND DENTAL EDUCATION POLICY. Date ratified: 3 September Date issued: 3 September 2007

Transcription

1 CONTINUING MEDICAL AND DENTAL EDUCATION POLICY Version: 4 Ratified by (name of Committee): JLNC Date ratified: Date issued: Expiry date: 31 December 2012 (Document is not valid after this date) Review date: 3 September 2009 Lead Executive/Director: Name of originator/author: Target audience: Human Resources Director Human Resources All PCT Medical and Dental Staff

2 CONTRIBUTION LIST Key individuals involved in developing the document Name Human Resources JLNC BMA Designation Human Resources Director Staff Side Chair Local BMA Representative Circulated to the following individuals for consultation Name Human Resources JLNC Designation 2

3 WORCESTERSHIRE PRIMARY CARE TRUST CONTINUING MEDICAL AND DENTAL EDUCATION POLICY CONTENTS Page No. 1. Introduction 3 2. Time for CME and CPD 3 3. External Courses and Training Initiatives 5 4. Internal CME/CPD 6 5. Cost 6 6. Procedures 7 7. Monitoring 7 Appendix 1 Policy Definitions 8 Please cross reference this policy with; Study Leave Policy 3

4 WORCESTERSHIRE PRIMARY CARE TRUST CONTINUING MEDICAL AND DENTAL EDUCATION POLICY 1. Introduction The Employing Organisation recognises that all clinical staff need to devote time to ongoing training and education to keep their clinical skills and knowledge up to date in order to provide high quality services. Certain training is also mandatory for the purposes of safety and CNST requirements and clinical staff must therefore attend them. In addition the Employing Organisation recognises that continuing medical education (CME) is only part of continuing professional development (CPD). The Employing Organisation expects managers and appropriate clinical leads to introduce a system of appraisal or mentoring applicable to all medical and dental staff to ensure that the education and career development needs of individuals are addressed and considered on a regular basis. As part of this process essential courses should be identified within every individual s Personal Development Plan. The Employing Organisation recognises that the responsibility for continuing medical education rests both with the Employing Organisation and with the individual clinician jointly. Employing Organisation Royal Colleges have developed specific guidance on CME or CPD and increasingly the accountability for such activities is coming into the public domain and into the domain of commissioners. Doctors are reminded that the General Medical Council recognises that it is the duty of a doctor to keep good professional knowledge and skills up to date. The GMC further states that a) all doctors should take part regularly in education activities, which relate to their branch of medicine and b) doctors should take part in regular and systematic audit. All staff should have equal access to training & development and no one should be discriminated against for any reason. This policy has been negotiated and agreed with the JLNC and deals only with the arrangements and payments for training and education including professional and study leave of doctors and dentists within the Employing Organisation. It does not affect or change any other terms and conditions under the contract of employment. The agreement will be reviewed biannually through the JLNC. 2. Time for CME and CPD The Employing Organisation recognises and expects doctors and dentists to take the required time for CME as dictated by their relevant 4

5 Royal College. Approval will be subject to the appropriateness of the course and the costs involved. The national terms and conditions of service across the medical and dental grades recommend the following standards provided this is consistent with maintaining services: 2.1 Consultants, Associate Specialists, Staff Grades, Hospital Practitioners Leave with pay and expenses within a maximum of 30 days (including off duty days falling within the leave) in any period of 3 years within the United Kingdom. Study leave above this period is discretionary and may be with or without pay and expenses or with some proportion agreed with the budget-holder. 2.2 Trainees- Specialty registrars, Specialist, FTSTA and Trust Grade Doctors in training approved posts Leave with pay and expenses up to the nationally recommended minimum in a year. This will include leave to attend day release courses prescribed by the School of Psychiatry. Study leave above this period is discretionary and may be with or without pay and expenses or with some proportion agreed with the budget-holder 2.3 Locum Appointments Other than for mandatory training, study leave will be at the discretion of the Medical Director 2.4 Senior Dental Officers and Dental Officers Pay and expenses within a maximum of 21 days in any 3 year period within the United Kingdom. Dental Officers on the minimum or first incremental point will be eligible for pay and expenses within 1 day per week or equivalent block release to undertake post-graduate education in the United Kingdom. Study leave above this period is discretionary and may be with or without pay and expenses or with some proportion agreed with the Clinical Director who is the budget-holder. In the case of part time staff it will be the responsibility of Clinical Directors to discuss with the individual the arrangements for CME/CPD 5

6 and how much of that should legitimately be taken out of Employing Organisation time and how much of that would be included in either the time of other Employing Organisations, where the doctor or dentist may be employed, or in the doctor or dentist s own time outside employment of the Employing Organisations. 3. External Courses and Training Initiatives 3.1 The Employing Organisation will allow time away from clinical duties for doctors and dentists to attend external training courses and initiatives subject to the needs of the service. In the majority of cases, funding will only be given for CME approved courses. 3.2 It is the responsibility of the clinician taking the study leave to ensure their essential duties are covered by colleagues. This must include any on call duties. Supervisors authorising study leave should ensure that colleagues providing cover have confirmed this in writing 3.3 External courses that are deemed to be essential, statutory or mandatory will be fully funded if study leave is approved and the following definitions are applied Employing Organisation-wide: Essential Any course that is deemed essential as part of the Organisation s service plan and including any professional requirements for updates/up-skilling, highlighted as an essential development need in an individual s personal development plan. Statutory Where there is a legal requirement for this training. Mandatory Where the Employing Organisation requires attendance on these courses e.g. manual handling. Full funding will cover course fees, travel expenses, accommodation and examination fees if appropriate. If the budget is already committed, approval may have to be deferred. 3.4 The Employing Organisations strongly encourage the provision of training opportunities locally which will promote the culture of medical education within as well as saving the costs of clinicians travelling to external courses where possible. 3.5 A doctor or dentist who cancels a course without a valid reason may be asked to repay the course fee (please see Employing Organisation's Study Leave Policy). An example of a valid reason would be certificated sickness. 6

7 3.6 Any training requested by the individual, which does not fall within 3.3 or 3.4, but the approving clinician feels would be helpful in the doctor's personal development will be part-funded. The Employing Organisation will pay 50% of the course fee but will not reimburse travelling expenses (please see Employing Organisation s Study Leave Policy). 3.7 Courses should not be booked before approval is given. 4. Internal CME/CPD 4.1 Clinical staff will be expected to attend local audit and training meetings designed for their speciality and which meet the requirements of their particular Royal College. 4.2 Doctors will be encouraged to attend their locality training programme and any countywide meetings. For doctors in the Mental Health Partnership Trust, attendance at local teaching programmes for a minimum of 3 hours a week is a specific requirement for trainees placed by the School of Psychiatry 4.3 Employing Organisations will look favourably on development and research opportunities as part of the CME and CPD philosophy. 5. Costs The Employing Organisation s income through commissioning requires to be organised in a way that recognises the need for staff to spend time involved in CME and CPD. Commissioners cannot expect limitless supplies of high quality service if there is no investment in the ongoing training and development of staff. Commissioners may also wish to be informed of audit programmes and the CME record of staff and opportunities should be made to encourage commissioners to recognise the quality of services that leads from this investment. As the general rule, the Employing Organisation will be increasingly reluctant to fund high cost training courses without some contribution from the clinician unless it can be shown that the course is essential for the clinician and for the Employing Organisation. However, in order to ensure that there is a fair and consistent approach, a quarterly audit of the money allocated will be prepared for the Medical Director. This information will also be available to the Education, Training and Development Steering Group. 6. Procedure 7

8 The procedure for claiming study leave will be in line with the details in the Employing Organisation s Study Leave Policy which covers all staff and the procedure specific to medical and dental arrangements. Applications should be made using the Employing Organisation's Study Leave Application Form. 7. Monitoring 7.1 Clinical governance places a requirement on the Employing Organisation to monitor continuing medical education achievement. Clinical Directors will have the responsibility for this within their own directorates and the details will be made available to the Medical Director in his/her capacity as lead officer for clinical governance and to the Chief Executive. In the Mental Health Partnership Trust the information for the Medical Director will be through the Director of Medical Education 7.2 In order to facilitate effective monitoring all medical and dental staff will be expected to keep a record of all continuing medical education, preferably through their Appraisal Portfolio Appendix 1 8

9 Policy Definitions Definitions that apply to this policy are as follows: Approved - Formal confirmation by PCT group or committee that the document meets the required standards and may be put to the PCT Board for ratification. Ratification - The document is agreed by the PCT Board or the designated sub committee of the Board for publication. Policy - A policy is a plan of action which is then applied as concrete programmes and actions. Policy documents will be prescriptive by nature and will detail the PCT s expectations for the actions of individuals in a particular subject area, setting the parameters within which individuals will operate. Procedure - A particular way of accomplishing an objective; generally refers to the method rather than the result. Procedures are usually developed to describe methods for implementing policy. A procedure is a method of conducting business or performing a task that sets out a series of actions or steps to be taken; it explains how we do something. 9