Scottish standing committee

Convenor's Message

Welcome to the Scottish Standing Committee web page.

Devolution was the prime driver to the formation of the Scottish Standing Committee over seven years ago. There was a need for a forum to collate the views of members in Scotland on matters of importance to anaesthesia and to provide a voice on devolved health care issues. Elections to date have ensured that the committee has a membership representative of all regions in Scotland. The committee has six elected representatives, AAGBI Council members resident in Scotland as well as a GAT and SAS member. Comprehensive opinion and advice is sought by co-opting members from the Scottish Advisory Board of the RCOA, the Scottish Society of Anaesthetists, The Scottish Intensive Care Society, the North British Pain Society, the BMA Scottish Consultants Committee and the Chief Medical Officer’s Adviser.

The same issues exercise all four devolved nations with respect to health care: waiting times, reconfiguration of services, modernising medical careers and professional regulation. Devolution means that the way forward in each of the nations need not be the same. The solutions offered may have major implications for a specialty like anaesthesia where as a group we continue to have a UK identity. This is most obvious in the recent MMC recruitment round where training has been uncoupled in England but remains run-though in Scotland. Similarly, the exercise of reshaping the medical workforce in Scotland may provide solutions very different from those derived from the equivalent process being undertaken in England. The Scottish Standing Committee has provided a view on both of these issues as part of it remit.

The Committee meets three times each year and holds an Open meeting in Stirling each February. The Open meeting is a highlight in the Scottish CPD calendar with the agenda covering educational, clinical and political topics. The Convenor attends the AAGBI Council meetings to provide Scottish input and also the Scottish Society of Anaesthetists and the Scottish Advisory Board of the RCOA committee meetings as a co-opted member.

Areas current on our agenda include manpower and training, assistance for the anaesthetist and the redesign of service across Scotland. A summary of our latest minutes can be found on the website. We look forward to receiving your continued support and hope to see you at the next open meeting in Stirling on 20th February 2009.

Dr Kathleen Ferguson

Convenor, Scottish Standing Committee