The Postgraduate Medical Education & Training Board

The Appointment of two Medical Members

Information pack for applicants

The closing date for receipt of applications for these posts is

16 June 2008 This information pack is available electronically or in Braille or large print from website: www.appointments.org.uk Recruitment Services Appointments Commission Blenheim House West One Duncombe Street Leeds LS1 4PL Tel: 0870 240 3802 Email: info@appointments.org.uk

Please quote Ref DH8046 in all correspondence

Contents: About the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board

Introduction

The Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board

The Board

Current vacancies for Board members

Background to Postgraduate Medical Education and Training

Training to be a doctor in the NHS

About the posts Qualities Required

Duties and Role

Training

Location

Time commitment

Remuneration

Appointment and tenure of office

Criteria for Disqualification

Conflicts of interest

Applying for a post through the Appointments Commission About the Appointments Commission

How we will handle your application

Guidance on completion of the application form

Data protection

Dealing with your concerns

Annex A – The Seven Principles of Public Life

Also attached Copy of advert

Application form

ABOUT THE POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING BOARD A modern organisation for a modern approach to postgraduate medical education and training

Introduction The Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) was established as a statutory independent body in September 2005, having existed in shadow form from 2003, as a key part of the drive to improve standards and assure the quality of postgraduate medical education and training. This organisation requires innovative approaches to setting, maintaining and supervising standards in postgraduate medical education and training in the UK. In February 2008 the Secretary of State for Health announced that PMETB and the General Medical Council (GMC) should merge to create one unified regulator of medical education. This merger will not take place before 2010. The Board will continue to fulfil rigorously its statutory functions as a separate legal entity until the merger is complete. The Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board The Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board was established to bring together responsibility for all Postgraduate Medical Education and Training (PGME). Its primary duty is to supervise PGME. Legislation (The General and Specialist Medical Practice (Education, Training and Qualifications) Order 2003) gives the Board, as the “competent authority”1, oversight of all PGME activity in the UK. It replaced the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice (JCPTGP) and the Specialist Training Authority (STA). The Board is required to co-operate with a range of bodies in carrying out its functions. The Board

Determines the content and outcomes of postgraduate medical education and training;

is responsible for ensuring that assessments and examinations of training are reliable, valid and fair;

issues certificates to those doctors meeting the standards it sets for the successful completion of training;

requires doctors to produce evidence of having met its standards; and

Certification entitles a doctor to be registered on either the Specialist Register held by the General Medical Council (GMC) or the General Practitioner Register held by the GMC, as appropriate. Registration is a necessary requirement for working as a consultant, or as a general practitioner in the NHS.

1 The authority or body designated to carry out the functions required of the UK under Council Directive 2005/36/EC to facilitate the free movement of doctors and the mutual recognition of their diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications

The Board also assesses doctors coming to this country whose training has been undertaken in part or fully elsewhere and who do not satisfy EEA requirements for mutual recognition of qualifications. It will be able to permit these doctors to be registered, if the Board judges that they meet UK standards, or, if not, to require them to undertake additional training and assessment either in the UK or elsewhere. Similarly, it will be able to assess doctors in the UK who have not completed a recognised training programme but who may be eligible for entry to the Specialist or GP Register through a combination of training, qualifications and experience. The Board works closely with other bodies with an interest in medical education. The medical Royal Colleges and the Postgraduate Deaneries in particular play key roles in PGME in the UK. The Board also has close links with the General Medical Council, in recognition of the Council’s role in undergraduate medical education and in registration. The Board and the GMC work together in developing a seamless approach to the continuum of medical education and training. The Board’s work is quality assured through a system of annual reports and quinquennial reviews to the Secretary of State for Health. These reports are laid before both Houses of Parliament in England, the Scottish Parliament, and the Northern Ireland Assembly and are published by the National Assembly for Wales. The Board has a membership of 25. This includes medical and lay members. The Board has a medical majority who represent a range of experience in the medical field. The Secretary of State for Health appoints 19 of the 25 members of the Board, amongst whom one has been nominated by the GMC and six medical members have been nominated by the Medical Royal Colleges (as required by the legislation). Scottish Ministers, the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland and the National Assembly for Wales each appoint one medical and one lay member to the Board in separate recruitment exercises. The Chair is elected by the members from amongst themselves. The current Chair, Professor Peter Rubin, will be standing down at the end of his term of office on 21 October 2008. He will be succeeded as Chair by Professor Stuart Macpherson. The Board has effective administrative support and is able to raise its own revenue through, for example, charges for certification. As a body which spends public money it is accountable to the Secretary of State, who is in turn accountable to Parliament for the effectiveness of that expenditure. The Board is accountable to the Secretary of State for Health by way of its annual report and the five-year review, which will be conducted by an independent body. Current vacancies for Board members Vacancies for two medical members will arise in October with the departure of two members from the Board.

This is an exciting and unique opportunity to shape the future of postgraduate medical education and training in the UK, please view the PMETB website www.pmetb.org.uk for further background information.

BACKGROUND TO POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING The first year of the Foundation Programme is the statutory responsibility of the GMC Education Committee. PMETB is responsible for specialist and GP training. The second year of the Foundation Programme has no statutory existence and the GMC and PMETB agreed that they would jointly quality assure the whole of the Foundation Programme. This arrangement has worked well. Training is managed and delivered by the NHS through postgraduate deaneries, supported by educational and clinical supervisors. Standards are set and monitored by PMETB which also attests to the competence of individual doctors. PMETB holds postgraduate deans accountable for the quality of postgraduate medical education in their deaneries. What is the European Directive and why does it affect what we do? Council Directive 2005/36/EC facilitates the free movement of doctors within the European Economic Area and the mutual recognition between member states of diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications. It defines the training requirements for hospital specialists and training for general practitioners. The requirements are not the same for both. How has PMETB made the system better? • When PMETB assumed its statutory functions in September 2005, less

than half of the 57 specialties had a curriculum. Now they all do. • College assessments have been of variable quality and excellent progress

is being made in ensuring all reach the standards of the best. • The first-ever generic standards for postgraduate training across all

medical specialties have been published, bringing consistency and greater transparency to postgraduate training.

• Quality assurance has been modernised and rationalised. • There are more flexible routes to the Register for doctors who are not EEA

nationals and who have qualified and trained outside the EEA. • The processes for certification and assessment are faster, fairer and more

effective. • For the first time, UK-wide surveys of trainees and trainers have taken

place, providing valuable information on quality of training and areas for improvement.

TRAINING TO BE A DOCTOR IN THE NHS Eligibility to Practise In order to practise in the NHS a doctor must be registered with the General Medical Council. The procedure for registration varies according to whether a primary medical qualification was awarded within or outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Details about registration procedures can be obtained from the GMC’s website: www.gmc-uk.org General Practice Register PMETB is responsible for supervising all postgraduate training for general practice in the UK leading to the award of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT). To become a GP in the UK, doctors need to be on the GP Register in addition to registration with the GMC. PMETB issues CCTs for UK trained doctors and certificates of equivalent for eligibility to GP registration (CEGPRs) for doctors which it assesses as having equivalent training, qualifications and experience.

If a doctor holds a CCT from within the EEA, this will be recognised automatically for GP registration by the GMC.

Doctors from outside the EEA can apply for a CEGPR on the basis of

their training, qualifications and experience abroad. PMETB will determine whether a doctor’s training qualifications and experience are equivalent to the standard required by the UK.

The Specialist Register Consultants PMETB is responsible for supervising all specialist postgraduate medical education in the UK leading to the award of a CCT. To work as a substantive or honorary consultant in the NHS doctors must be included in the Specialist Register maintained by the GMC. Doctors cannot be entered on the Specialist Register without also being registered on the register of medical practitioners held by the GMC, but applications for both can be made at the same time. Appointment Procedures

• Appointments to all posts at consultant grade, non-career grades, training grades and GPs are made in open competition between candidates. Holding GMC registration is an essential pre-condition for applying, but does not guarantee appointment for any particular job. The appointment procedure for consultants is set out in law in the National Health Service (Appointment of Consultants) Regulations 1996 and the accompanying Good Practice Guidance. These can be found at:

www.dh.gov.uk/hrinthenhs/consultantregulations.htm

• The procedure for other appointments accords with normal employment law and best practice.

• More information on training opportunities for graduates from outside

the UK is available in the publication ‘Medical Training in the United Kingdom: a Guide for International Graduates’. This document is available on the Department of Health website at:

www.dh.gov.uk/medicaltrainingintheuk

The Department of Health also sponsors the National Advice Centre for Postgraduate Medical Education to give advice on medical training in the UK.

They can be contacted at:

National Advice Centre for Postgraduate Medical Education British Council Bridgewater House 58 Whitworth Street Manchester M1 6BB Tel: 44-(0)161 957 7218 Fax: 44-(0)161 957 7029 E-mail: nacpe@britishcouncil.org

ABOUT THE POSTS Member of PMETB - Qualities required To help you decide if you wish to be considered for appointment to one of these posts, we have listed below the criteria that will be applied when assessing candidates. Essential You must: • be a registered medical practitioner;

• have a very strong commitment and belief in PMETB’s objectives and functions;

• have a strong personal commitment to high quality healthcare and promoting the interests of patients, the public and doctors in training;

• show you understand the importance of effective high quality medical education and training in protecting the interests of patients and the public;

• be able to communicate effectively with people or organisations including the medical profession, the public and the NHS to promote the interests of patients;

• be able to demonstrate an ability to contribute to the work of the Board and have the confidence to question and challenge other members without damage to the Board’s commitment to achieve objectives through teamwork;

• demonstrate an understanding of the implications of diversity and social inequalities for the conduct of the Board and its rules and procedures and its assessment of training environments;

• understand postgraduate medical education and training and the Government's reform programme for the NHS, for example in relation to improving and modernising training for junior doctors with the crucial aim of ensuring our healthcare systems have appropriately trained doctors.

Desirable Experience of serving on a policy making committee at a national level.

Member of PMETB – Duties and Role General Board members of PMETB are accountable, to the Chair, for ensuring that the Board: • protects the interests of the public and patients in the field of

postgraduate medical education and training;

• carries out its statutory responsibilities with regard to setting and maintaining standards of postgraduate medical education and training;

• recruits talented people and provides effective training and measurable performance objectives to help the Board achieve its business goals, overseeing fair processes for recruiting staff according to valuing diversity principles.

• recognises the implications of diversity and social inequalities for the conduct of Board and its rules and procedures and its assessment of training environments;

• agrees its terms of reference, key targets and objectives, and effectively performance manages their delivery;

• is able to accurately record and publish performance information on the Board’s activities on an annual and 5 yearly basis;

• provides a service which is reliable, timely and cost effective and ensures that high standards are achieved in postgraduate education and training;

• remains within its budget and uses its available resources effectively.

Role and responsibilities We are looking for members who can represent the interests of patients, carers, other healthcare professionals and the wider public but will ensure that a number of members also have knowledge and expertise in providing medical education and training in the NHS. Board members of PMETB will: • help to ensure that PMETB exercises its functions in line with the

legislation establishing the Board;

• help to ensure that PMETB provides a service which is efficient, cost effective and that high standards are achieved;

• help to ensure that the Board remains within budget and uses its available resources effectively;

• agree the Board's key targets and objectives and monitor performance;

• share corporate responsibility for all decisions affecting the performance and conduct of the Board;

• represent the Board, as required, at official occasions or in dealing with the media;

• collaborate with the medical profession and the NHS to set and maintain standards in postgraduate medical education and training;

• increase and promote public understanding of PMETB and ensure that the Board promotes patients interests;

• provide support to PMETB in carrying out its statutory responsibilities.

Board members will also be expected to: • play a full part in representing the Board's activities in an open and

positive way to the medical profession, the general public and the NHS;

• make a full contribution to the Board’s affairs and act as part of a team;

• discuss key and appropriate issues in a timely manner;

• help develop an effective partnership with the Chair and Chief Executive to ensure that the Board acts corporately, and that the Board is represented positively to the public, and the NHS;

• help develop an effective partnership with the medical profession to ensure that PMETB is represented positively and has the full support of the medical profession;

• give due attention to the needs and development of PMETB staff;

• help set the tone of the organisation, designing and communicating organisational purpose and values;

• contribute to advice given to the Secretary of State, through the Department of Health, on issues relevant to postgraduate medical education and training and the service provided by PMETB;

• be committed to and abide by the “Seven Principles of Public Life” (see Annex A).

Training Board members will receive training to help them understand the legislative framework and to support them in working on the Board. This is particularly intended to help people who may not have had previous experience of being a Board member of a public body.

Location PMETB is based at Hercules House, London SE1, however, since its remit is UK-wide, meetings are held at locations throughout the UK. Time Commitment Members will be expected to normally devote at least 3 days a month to PMETB responsibilities. Remuneration A subcommittee of the Board decides on remuneration which is currently

set at £9,000 a year. Remuneration is taxable under Schedule E and subject to Class 1 National Insurance contributions. It is not pensionable.

Members are also eligible to claim allowances at rates set by the Board for travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred on PMETB business.

Appointment and Tenure of Office

• The appointments will be for three years, or until the merger with the GMC, if this is sooner.

• All members must demonstrate high standards of corporate and personal conduct. To ensure that public service values are maintained at the heart of the public service, all board members of PMETB are required to subscribe to its Codes of Conduct and Accountability. Details of what is required of the Chair and the Board on which they serve are set out in the Codes.

• Candidates should note particularly the requirement to declare any conflict of interest that arises in the course of Board business and the need to declare any relevant business interests, positions of authority or other connections with commercial, public or voluntary bodies. These will be published. Candidates should also be aware that these posts are public appointments rather than jobs and are not subject to the provisions of employment law.

Criteria for disqualification Appointments to most public bodies are governed by regulations which include details of the circumstances in which an individual may be disqualified. The following paragraphs identify the main circumstances where an individual would not be allowed to serve as Chair or Member of PMETB.

i. anyone who has is disqualified or suspended (other than by an interim suspension order or direction pending investigation) from practising by any Relevant Licensing Body anywhere in the world;

ii. anyone who is subject to a national disqualification;

iii. anyone who is suspended from a primary care list(2);

iv. anyone who within the past five years has been convicted in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man and received a sentence of more than 3 months imprisonment, including suspended sentences without the option of a fine;

v. anyone who has been declared bankrupt or has made a composition arrangement with their creditors;

2 primary care list” means— (a) a list of persons undertaking to provide general medical services, general dental services,

general ophthalmic services or, as the case may be, pharmaceutical services prepared pursuant to regulations made under section 29, 36, 39, 42 or 43 of the NHS Act 1977;

(b) a list of persons approved for the purpose of assisting in the provision of any such services prepared pursuant to regulations made under section 43D of that Act;

(c) a services list referred to in section 28DA of that Act or section 8ZA of the National Health Service (Primary Care) Act 1997; or

(d) a list corresponding to a services list prepared by virtue of regulations made under section 41 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001.

vi. anybody who has been dismissed other than by reason of redundancy by an NHS body;

vii. anyone who is under a disqualification order under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986;

viii. anyone who has previously been removed from trusteeship of a charity by the court or the Charity Commissioners.

ix. anyone who does not reside or work wholly or mainly within the United Kingdom. Conflicts of interest Any actual or perceived conflicts of interest will be fully explored by the Panel at the shortlisting or interview stage.

APPLYING FOR A POST THROUGH THE APPOINTMENTS COMMISSION ABOUT THE APPOINTMENTS COMMISSION The Appointments Commission was originally established in April 2001 as the NHS Appointments Commission special health authority to make all Chair and non-executive appointments to NHS Trusts, Primary Care Trusts and Health Authorities. The Commission was later delegated the Secretary of State for Health’s powers to make chair and non-executive appointments to a range of health and social care related bodies and also began to undertake the recruitment of chairs and non-executive members on behalf of other government departments. On 1 October 2006, the Commission became an executive non-departmental public body, changing its name to the “Appointments Commission”, to reflect its wider remit. In setting its remit, the Secretary of State for Health requires the Commission to ensure that all the procedures it uses for recruitment and appointment are open and transparent and take account of the procedures set by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Chair of the Appointments Commission is Anne Watts who is supported by six Commissioners who are responsible for the integrity of the appointments process. All appointments are made on merit in accordance with the Code of Practice laid down by the Commissioner for Public Appointments who monitors appointments to all public bodies and ensures that all appointments are made on merit after fair and open competition.

HOW WE WILL HANDLE YOUR APPLICATION Acknowledging your application

• We will write to you, after the closing date, to acknowledge receipt of your application.

The shortlisting process

• The shortlisting panel will first assess your application to see whether you meet the criteria for the post, as set out in the section on “Qualities required” in this information pack. Candidates who best demonstrate that they have the specified skills will be selected for interview. We will let you know whether or not you will be interviewed.

• Where 30 or more applications are received, applications may be “pre-assessed” before being forwarded to the shortlisting panel for consideration. You should be aware that, in this event, your application might not be considered in full by all the members of the panel.

• The members of the shortlisting panel will include Margaret Scott, Regional Commissioner, Appointments Commission

• , who will chair the panel, Professor Peter Rubin, Chair, PMETB, Wendy Russell, Department of Health, and an independent assessor.

Interviews • Interviews for candidates shortlisted for these posts will be held in

London on 16 July 2008. We will let you have full details when we write to acknowledge receipt of your application.

• If you are shortlisted for interview, we will contact you, normally by telephone, to agree a suitable time. We will confirm the interview arrangements by letter, including a map and instructions on how to get to the venue.

• Candidates are entitled to be reimbursed reasonable expenses in relation to the selection process. Further guidance will be provided for candidates invited to interview.

• Where a candidate is unable to attend an interview on the set date, an alternative date will only be offered at the discretion of the panel.

• The members of the interview panel will normally be the same as for the shortlisting panel.

• You will be asked questions by the interview panel to assess whether you can demonstrate that you have the qualities required for the post. The panel’s questions will require answers which include examples of when you have demonstrated these particular behaviours in your professional or personal life. Wherever possible, the examples you give should be taken from the areas of experience you illustrated on your application form and CV and demonstrate the level at which you are able to work effectively.

The outcome of your application

• If, in the view of the panel and the Appointments Commission’s Health and Social Care Appointments Committee, you have the skills for the post and are one of the best candidates, your name will be recommended to Department of Health Ministers, who will make the final decision.

• If you are successful, you will receive a letter from Ministers formally appointing you as a member of PMETB.

• If you are unsuccessful, you will be notified by the Appointments Commission.

• If your application is unsuccessful and you would like feedback, please write to us at the address on our letter. However, if you have a complaint about the way your application has been handled at any stage, please see the section on “Dealing with your concerns”.

We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will advise you of the likely timetable at each stage.

GUIDANCE ON THE COMPLETION OF THE APPLICATION FORM As these are public appointments, basic information about those appointed is made public in a variety of official publications including press releases, the Appointments Commission Annual Report, and the Cabinet Office's database of public appointments on the internet. This information includes: Full name Postal town Occupation type Brief career history/pen picture Type and period of appointment Remuneration paid Details of any ministerial appointments held Details of any political activity declared FORM 1: Part 1: Your personal details Part 2: How you found out about these posts So that we can establish the best way to advertise these posts in the future, please can you indicate where you saw this post advertised or how you were informed about this post. Please tick all that apply. Part 3: References Your referees will not be approached unless you are invited for interview.

Part 4: Personal Assessment 4.1 Skills and attributes Please make sure that you have read the list of qualities required for the post and any specific requirements before completing your form and preparing your supporting documentation. Your application should include evidence that you have as many as possible of the qualities required. 4.2 Career and experience It may not always be possible to provide all the information we need in the space available on this application form. You should, therefore, attach a brief CV (2 pages) and any continuation sheets necessary when returning the form. Please keep a copy of the form and any additional information you may send us. Part 5: Declaration of interests Public bodies are expected to maintain a register of members’ interests to avoid any danger of committee members being influenced, or appearing to be influenced, by their private interests in the exercise of their public duties. All

committee members are therefore expected to declare any personal or business interest which may influence, or may be perceived to influence, their judgement. (This should include, as a minimum, personal direct and indirect financial interests, and should normally also include such interests of close family members. Indirect financial interests arise from connections with bodies which have a direct financial interest, or from being a business partner of, or being employed by, a person with such an interest.) Part 6: Declaration Please read the criteria for disqualification from appointment set out in the information pack carefully before signing and submitting your application. FORM 2: MONITORING INFORMATION Parts 1, 2 and 3: Equal opportunities We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are particularly anxious to ensure proper representation on boards and committees of women, all ages, people from ethnic minorities and disabled people. All appointments are based on merit and the principles of independent assessment, openness and transparency of process. Part 4: Ministerial appointments Candidates for appointment are required to give full information about any ministerial appointments they hold. You should also include details of any current NHS board appointments you hold. Please ensure that you include full details of the body to which you have already been appointed, the period of appointment and annual remuneration or daily fees paid. Part 5: Publication of monitoring information Information is collected for monitoring purposes about ethnic origin, disability and political activity to ensure that the appointment process is fair and open. The Department of Health may ask the Appointments Commission to provide statistical information on ethnic origin, disability and political activity in response to Parliamentary Questions and other public enquiries. However, in line with Government policy, and in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act, information about the ethnic origin and disability of individuals will only be made publicly available with the consent of the person involved. The application form asks individuals whether they are happy for this information to be made publicly available. Part 6: Political Activity

Whether you are politically active in any way will not be a factor in the consideration of your application. Information on political activity is requested as required by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and is used for monitoring purposes only. It is not made available to short-listing or interview panels or to the Health and Social Care Appointments Committee of the Commission.

DATA PROTECTION The Appointments Commission is required by the Commissioner for Public Appointments to retain information about the people who apply for public appointments, and make this information available to her for audit purposes, if requested to do so. The Appointments Commission’s data protection policy in relation to the information we collect is set out below:

• Your initial contact details, including your name and address will be held by the Appointments Commission for a period of up to 2 years.

• If you submit an application form, the form and any supporting documentation will be retained for up to 2 years.

• Information held electronically, including your contact details and the monitoring information provided on Part 2 of the application form will also be held for up to 2 years.

If you would like these details to be removed from our records as soon as this recruitment exercise is complete, please write or e-mail the Appointments Commission at the address on the front of this information pack.

DEALING WITH YOUR CONCERNS In the first instance For queries about your application, please telephone the Recruitment Services Centre on 0870 240 3802 If you are not completely satisfied We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy. If you feel that you have any complaints about the way your application has been handled, we would like to hear from you. Please write to:

Ms Anne Watts CBE Chair Appointments Commission Blenheim House Duncombe Street Leeds LS1 4PL

ANNEX A The Seven Principles of Public Life Selflessness Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, their family or their friends. Integrity Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties. Objectivity In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit. Accountability Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office. Openness Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands. Honesty Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest. Leadership Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.