The Royal College of Psychiatrists International Advisory Committee 21 Prescot Street, London, E1 8BB. Thursday 15 th June Minutes.

Transcription

1 The Royal College of Psychiatrists International Advisory Committee 21 Prescot Street, London, E1 8BB Thursday 15 th June 2017 Minutes Present: Professor Mohammed Al-Uzri, Vice Chair of IAC and Specialist Advisor for MTI (Chair) Professor Sab Bhaumik, Diaspora Groups Committees Representative Dr Marisa Casanova Dias, Co-opted Member (joined by phone) Dr Nandini Chakraborty, Co-Opted Member Mrs Elen Cook, International Liaison Manager (administrator) Dr Dasha Nicholls, Faculties Representative Dr Adrian James, Registrar Dr Sophie Thompson, VIPSIG Representative 1. Welcome and Introductions The Chair opened the meeting and gave particular welcome to Dr Sophie Thompson, the newly elected Chair of the Volunteering and International Psychiatry Special Interest Group, to her first meeting 2. Apologies were received from Dr Andlauer, Dr Baig, Dr Dave, Dr Dhumad, Dr Falkowski, Dr Hughes, Professor Ikkos, Dr Lovett, Ms Paul, Dr Ryland and Professor Wessely. 3. The minutes of the previous meeting, held on March 23 rd 2017, were approved without change. 4. Matters arising not on the agenda 4.1. Global Health Competencies Marisa Casanova Dias explained that the Global Health curriculum group had presented their work at the recent European Psychiatric Association (EPA) conference and that they had been well received. The next stage was to meet with the curricula committees to discuss how the core global health capabilities could be included in the curricula. Page 1 of 5

2 5. Feedback from International Meetings 5.1. APA Meeting, San Diego, May 2017 Dr Adrian James explained that the RCPsych had been well represented at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting. Dr James had been invited to observe the APA Assembly meeting which took place before the conference. The assembly operates in a similar way to the RCPsych Council although the different geographical areas dominated over the psychiatric sub specialties. Dr James clarified that the APA did not have role in training American Psychiatrists but was the leading membership organsiation for psychiatrists in the US. The APA conference provided the opportunity to hold a networking reception for RCPsych members in the Pan American Division. Dr James explained that these annual receptions were a valued part of the conference programme and were attended by the leadership of different psychiatric associations as well as RCPsych members. The President had delivered a session on the history of Shell Shock during the conference which had been well received and the Dean had chaired a one day symposium for the main English speaking psychiatric associations to share good practice and innovations in assessment and training. The conference had also provided an opportunity for national psychiatric association to meet to discuss the proposed reclassification of Dementia in the ICD-11. Although the concerns of psychiatrists and neurologists about the re-classification had been considered by the WHO and the re-classification would not be going ahead, the episode had highlighted the poor levels of communications between leading psychiatric bodies and it was agreed that the WPA would take a leading role in ensuring that communications were improved in the future. The committee discussed the priorities for psychiatry in the USA which included parity for the profession in terms of recognition, stigma and financial investment. Recruitment into psychiatry was another priority area. Dr James explained that as the commissioning structure in the USA was so diverse it was difficult to share information and to spread good practice beyond local centers of excellence Health Education England Global Health Conference The committee received Dr Peter Hughes report from both the HEE conference and from his meeting with Professor Sue Bailey, Chair of the AoMRC, and Ged Byrne and Jonathan Brown from HEE (IAC17.12). The meeting had discussed the possibility of establishing an MoU between the RCPsych and the HEE Global Health Exchange making it easier to work on joint volunteering projects. Following the meeting, a draft MoU had been sent to the Global Health Exchange for consideration and it was hoped that this MoU would be considered at the next meeting Home Office Resettlement Programme Elen Cook explained that Dr Piyal Sal and Dr Peter Hughes had attended a meeting about how the RCPsych might support the work of the Home Office Resettlement Programme. Little work had been achieved to date but it was hoped that there would be opportunities to deliver training staff working to support refugees and asylum seekers in the UK in the future. Page 2 of 5

3 6. Feedback from Diaspora Groups Committee Professor Sab Bhaumik explained that the morning meeting had been well attended and that the President had joined the first part of the meeting to thank the Diaspora groups for the support they had given to the RCPsych during his term of office. Professor Bhaumik reported that the Diaspora groups would be holding their conferences during the Autumn; the British Indian Psychiatric Association meeting would take place on 16 and 17 September in Watford, the British Pakistani Psychiatric Association meeting, which would also include a meeting of the Iranian Doctors diaspora group, would take place on 7 th and 8 th October and the Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists (UK) meeting would take place on 14 th October. Dr Subodh Dave, Associate Dean for Training Support, had spoken at the meeting about the need to meet the specific training needs of IMGs and explained that he had been commissioned to look at what was in place at the Deanery level for these trainees. Interviews were ongoing as part of this project and Dr Dave would be contacting the Diaspora groups about this work in due course. The meeting had also heard about planned activities which included an SLPA(UK) project to support a day center for people with learning disabilities in Colombo, Sri Lanka as well as 2 mental health hospitals. Professor Bhaumik also reported that BIPA had contributed 1,000 to the Where there is no psychiatrist fund which hoped to re-edit the practical guide and make it freely available online. Dr Sophie Thompson had attended the meeting in her new role as VIPSIG Chair and said that she hoped that all Diaspora Groups projects would link with VIPSIG in the future. 7. MTI Scheme update Professor Mohammed Al-Uzri explained that 18 new RCPsych MTIs would be entering the UK during These psychiatrists would be going to a number of different Trust across the UK. Professor Al-Uzri explained that ownership of the MTI scheme as a whole had passed from DoH to HEE and that they were producing standards that would standardize the MTI process and bring in stronger guidelines for both Deaneries/LETBs and Trusts that employed an MTI doctor. Professor Al-Uzri asked the committee to consider signing a letter to government from the Royal Colleges asking for the cap on the number of MTIs allowed into the UK in a 12 month period. The committee agreed that the RCPsych should co-sign the letter. Post meeting Note: this letter has been shelved at the request of the AoMRC who are working with government on a number of strategies, including the removal of the MTI cap, to ease pressures on the NHS post-brexit. 8. Feedback from ISC meeting Professor Al-Uzri explained that the main piece of work for the ISC committee was the development of a CAP module for psychiatrists. Members of the committee had travelled to Iraq earlier in the year to deliver training session to local trainees. Professor Al-Uzri explained that more volunteers were needed to help with developing a toolkit for psychiatric trainees and to Page 3 of 5

4 deliver specialist training remotely. Another area of work included the development of training in CBT and members of the committee were working with the University of Baghdad to develop a CBT diploma. The ISC was hoping to hold a meeting with key players from Iraq during the upcoming International Congress but that it had not been possible to obtain the necessary UK Visas. ISC to contact Dasha Nicholls with request for support from Faculties with CAP project 9. Volunteers Dr Thompson explained that as the new chair of the Volunteering and International Psychiatry Special Interest Group she was hoping to increase the opportunities for volunteers. Dr Thompson explained that the Volunteer project in Myanmar, of which she was closely involved, was continuing to grow and that psychiatrists in Myanmar were looking for support in developing research skills as well as with child and adolescent psychiatry and psychosocial support for their patients. These would be addressed further during their next visit to Myanmar. Dr Nicholls said that she would put Dr Thompson in contact with a Burmese Child Psychiatrists that she worked with who may be able to assist in this project. The committee thanked Dr Thompson for this update and agreed that her predecessor, Dr Peter Hughes should be thanked for the work that he carried out in the role. Elen Cook to ask President to write to Dr Hughes on behalf of the IAC 10. Review of IAC sub groups The committee reviewed paper IAC17.12 which provided an overview of the sub groups of the IAC and suggested mainstreaming much of the work done by these sub groups to avoid duplication and to use current resources to best effect. The committee agreed with the proposals in the paper to invite the Iraq Mental Health Forum to take ownership of the work of the Iraq Sub Committee. The Iraq Mental Health Forum would continue to a member of the Diaspora Groups Committee. The committee also agreed to invite the Syrian Refugee Taskforce to join the Diaspora Groups Committee. The committee also agreed to establish the role of Specialist Advisor for Volunteering to ensure that the scheme met its potential. The job description for this role would be considered at a future meeting. 11. MoUs Myanmar Mental Health Association and Myanmar Ministry of Health Dr Thompson explained that the Draft MoU was still being considered by the Myanmar mental health association as well as the Ministry of Health. The committee agreed to postpones discussions on the MoU until the next meeting HEE Global Health Exchange Postponed until next meeting (see item 5.2) 12. International Divisions Page 4 of 5

5 Elen Cook reported that the new Chairs of the International Divisions would take office on 28 th June: African Division: Dr Oluwole Famuyiwa European Division: Dr Michael Best Middle East Division: Dr Suhaila Ghuloum Pan American Division: Dr Sophia Frangou South Asian Division: Dr Sandip Deshpande West Pacific Division: Professor Steve Kisely The International Divisions business meeting would take place in Edinburgh on Monday 26 th June, before the start of the International Congress. Members of the committee were invited to attend. Committee members were also invited to attend the welcome reception for international delegates attending the congress which would take place in Edinburgh on Sunday 25 th June. 13. RCPsych delegate to the UEMS Psychiatry Section Elen Cook explained that the RCPsych was recruiting a second Member to join the UEMS Section of Psychiatry as the UK Delegate. Committee members were asked to circulate the job description (IAC17.15). 14. AoB Global Work of the RCPsych Dr Nicholls asked for an update on the proposals to develop the global health work of the RCPsych that had been previously discussed at IAC meeting. Elen Cook said she would get an update on the status on this paper, which she understood was due to be presented to Council for consideration International Opportunities for Members Dr Chakraborty commented that was aware of many RCPsych members who were volunteering independently of the RCPsych as part of opportunities offered by local Trusts and asked if it would be worth carrying out a piece of work to look at what was being done locally. It would also be useful to know which Trusts offered international electives to their trainees. Dr James commented that the RCPsych Divisions would be well placed to help with such a piece of work. Elen Cook to liaise with Vivine Mackain and Nandini Chakraborty regarding survey of members 15. Dates of next meetings: Wednesday 6 th September 2017, 2pm Wednesday 6 th December 2017, 2pm Page 5 of 5