The RCoA has formally announced changes to the specialty examinations policy and recognition for CCT as governed by the GMC.

The College now states that if the trainee completes the Primary and/or Final FRCA without a training number they may be eligible for a CCT if they re-enter training within 7 years of a pass.  Trainee eligibility can be determined by contacting the RCoA training department. The RCoA website provides a number of CCT Programme FAQs >

Following an overwhelming call from doctors to reject the government’s proposed changes to the NHS Pension Scheme and a willingness to undertake some form of industrial action, the BMA today (Wednesday 18 January 2012) called on the government to urgently reconsider their plans.

Read the full BMA press release >

GAT are in the process of establishing a new Trainee Network to enhance dialogue and communication across regions and with the Committee.  Letters and Emails have been sent to heads of schools of anaesthesia over the previous week along with information.  We hope to establish a Trainee Network 'Link' in each region (a motivated trainee) by January 2012.

For more information please contact the head of your school of anaesthesia or gat@aagbi.org

Key findings of the GMC's National Training Survey 2011. Find out more >

Survey Results by Specialty. Find out more >

For Anaesthetics UK wide. Find out more >

Many thanks to those who replied to our questionnaire about the changes to ICM training. There were 30 responses. The main concern was how the transition from the current to the new system will be conducted, and more specifically whether training already completed will be counted towards the award of a CCT. This was particularly the case for those in ST2-3 and those who have taken time out of training: for these trainees there is a great deal of uncertainty about which programme (old or new) they will be appointed to, and the practicalities of the appointment system.

In response to these concerns we have written a letter to Professor Bion seeking clarification on the following points:

1. Will trainees who have had their training lengthened, or are currently ST3 be able to count the Units of Training they have already completed towards a CCT in ICM?
2. How many years prior to a trainee taking up the post should deaneries appoint ICM trainees to the ‘old’ advanced training posts in 2012 and 2013? Further clarification would allow trainees to better plan their applications.
3. How will appointments to dual training be conducted? Will trainees apply for dual training, or will they apply initially for ICM and then have to apply separately for anaesthesia?
4. Will there be an initial entry above the ST3 grade in 2013?

View the letter to the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine >

An update will be available when we receive further information from the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine.

There has been a great deal of correspondence in the medical press regarding the establishment of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (FICM) and the associated changes to the structure of ICM training in the UK as proposed in the FICM's letter of the 15 July 2011. More details can be found in the September edition of Anaesthesia News.

This notice is for the attention of trainees who intend to dual accredit in ICM and anaesthesia, but who will be ineligible to be appointed to higher training by July 2013. At that point the single year ‘advanced training ’  is due to be terminated  and to be awarded a dual CCT, a trainee will be required  to undertake units of training in ICM as part of the new curriculum (even if they have already been done as part of the current scheme). Those trainees who are not willing to repeat units might* be awarded a CESR in place of a CCT, which is viewed by the GMC as an equivalent qualification, but does not carry the same recognition as a CCT around the world.

GAT would like to establish how many of our trainee members will be disadvantaged by the proposed changes. We would like to hear from trainees who intend to achieve a dual CCT in ICM and anaesthesia, and who have completed some of the supplementary training required to be appointed to higher ICM training, but who will be unable to be appointed to this post before such schemes terminate in July 2013.

Please complete the the short poll if you think this may affect you and the information will be used to inform our response to the FICM. All of your responses will be anonymous. If there are additional points to make or consultants who wish to express an opinion, please use the free text section.

Complete the online poll >

The dramatic expansion of social media resource has created an industry offering extensive access to interaction with friends, family, public and professionals.  It offers forum for career and professional discussion along with the arena for social and personal interaction.   Along with its array of benefits also comes debate as to how professional commitment integrates into its use and how the duties of doctors and medical students should be regarded and respected along the way.  The BMA has issued guidance relating to this issue. Read more >

Some points of interest and importance within this guidance include:

• Information uploaded onto the web is not always protected and use of conservative privacy settings highly advisable. Default settings are often more ‘public’ than most realize and once on to web, data is not always easily deleted nor can its distribution be controlled.
• Ethical and Legal duties of confidentiality strictly apply via web-based discussion as they do in any other media. Breaches represent professional misconduct and can therefore question a doctor’s fitness to practice.
• Inappropriate discussion relating to patient, colleague or employer should, clearly, not be conducted via public websites.
• Posting comments under a username online does not guarantee anonymity as they can be traced back to the original author.
• Defamation Law can apply to any comments posted on the web whether in personal or professional context – ‘Defamation’ is the act of making an unjustified statement about a person or organization  which is considered to harm reputation.  This can result in legal action against the individual or organization they represent.
• BMA recommends that patients (current or former) should not be accepted as friends on facebook
• Under GMC regulation medical professionals should maintain their duty to declare any conflicts of interests when making postings online (ie. Involvemtent with healthcare/pharmaceutical/healthcare groups)
• Organisations may have access social media content uploaded by doctors and thus anything viewed as inappropriate could have detrimental professional consequence. Evidence of any unprofessional behaviour can also lead to disciplinary action.

The AAGBI GAT Committee is pleased to announce the election of six new members who will take up their posts after the GAT Annual General Meeting in Leeds on 30th June:

• Dr Annemarie Docherty (ST4, Borders General Hospital, Edinburgh)   
• Dr Sarah Gibb (SpR3, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne)
• Dr Ulka Paralkar (ST5, University Hospital of Lewisham, London)
• Dr Kiran Tippur (ST6, Western Infirmary, Glasgow)
• Dr Caroline Wilson (ST4, Wexham Park Hospital, Slough)
• Dr Samantha Wilson (SpR, University College London Hospitals)

The Council of the College of Anaesthetists of Ireland (CAI) has decided that they will not apply for accreditation by the General Medical Council of the Final FCARSI exam for award of an UK Certificate of Completion Training.  On their website, the CAI state that the autonomy of the CAI exam may be compromised if it was to endeavour to meet the current, and future, requirements of both the Irish and UK accreditation processes.

A pass in either the Primary FRCA or Primary FCARSI can be used as entry criteria for the Final FRCA or Final FCARSI. 

A statement can be found on The College of Anaesthetists of Ireland website and the RCoA website.

Dr Felicity Howard gives trainees ten top tips for their first year as a consultant. Read more >

The GMC have issued a statement on examinations taken outside approved postgraduate training.
Read more >

Read the response from the GAT Committee to the recent debate sparked by the merger of the GMC and PMETB. Read more >