21st March 2016

This week I'm heading off to Leeds for the T&O HST National Selection Interviews. These take place in the less than luxurious surroundings of Elland Road with its bizarre statue of Billy Bremner looking like a hottentot with yellow hair (?!) 

Approximately 500 applicants are interviewed for roughly 100 posts: we heard a couple of weeks ago that the number of interview days was being cut from 4 to 3 because fewer applications had been received than anticipated.

There are two reasons to travel the very, very long way: the first is to provide manpower as each of the four stations requires two consultants and around 150 candidates are interviews per day.

The second is to be up-to-date with the format of the interviews so as to better advise our trainees going up for them next time. There are always adjustments year on year and as it's been four years since I last did it, I thought it was time.

This week the voting forms for @theBMA Council elections have dropped on the mat. It was such an enormous document containing mission statements from all the candidates standing for the 18 posts. This one caught my eye... 

It's hard to pick who to vote for do why not vote for the people you know!! It's a start.

How to Improve Morale

Clare Gerada's piece in the BMJ from earlier this month:

http://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/How_to_improve_junior_doctors%E2%80%99_morale_and_wellbeing?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=BMJCareers_GPnewsletter&utm_content=morale&utm_term=

The Problems:

• "A lack of team working and continuity of care

• Terrible shifts designed by computers and not fit for humans to work

• Rotations that take no account of a doctor’s personal circumstances

• The inflexibility of run-through training

• A fear of litigation and a blame culture that is endemic in the NHS."

  The Solutions?

  "Restore the places where doctors can meet and learn and reflect together in groups

  • Establish a national leadership and support programme, so that at pinch points in a doctor’s career they can come together and reflect in a safe, residential space

  • Provide lifelong access to careers counselling and rotations that acknowledge that people can change their mind along the way or even just want to take time out and do something differently

  • Provide confidential support and counselling services for all doctors

  • Provide rotas that acknowledge that doctors are human and have personal relationships with others.

  It is also important to recognise that the whole NHS workforce is demoralised and it would be a mistake to focus solely on the problems facing junior doctors."

A Salutory Lesson

If you use Social Media, you must make sure you read the GMC guidance on best practice: http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/ethical_guidance/21186.asp 

You may have seen this story in the press: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3470910/A-E-doctor-ran-foul-mouthed-Twitter-account-ranted-neurotic-patients-crippling-NHS-bulls-call-outs-posted-string-anti-Islamic-messages.html

This week, the Medical Practitioner Tribunal Service (MPTS) suspended A&E Consultant Dr Christian Solomonides for the inappropriate use of his Twitter account. The full judgement is here, and well worth a read: http://www.mpts-uk.org/static/documents/content/Dr_Christian_Michael_SOLOMONIDES_4_March_2016.pdf

Forthcoming Attractions

Basic Surgical Skills Courses get booked up quickly, and they are an essential requirement for Core Surgical Training posts. The following courses are in @HEE_KSS: