1.

Apologies for Absence

Nick Telford, Professor Ferguson-Smith, Hazel Harvey-Smith, John Crolla, Jon Walters, Selwyn Roberts, Val Davison

2.

Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 7^th December 2004

Para 5.1.1 Change loosing to losing

Para 5.1.1 To sentence beginning KS said that… add to end ‘…that can take training forward for each staff group.’

Para 5.1.2 Delete sentence beginning ‘At present Clinical Scientist training….’

Para 5.1.2 Delete ‘…or taught PhD.’

Para 5.1.2 Change ‘…at SHA level…’ to ‘…at DoH level…’.

Para 5.1.4 Change loose to lose

Para 5.1.6  Change final sentence to ‘The professional bodies will have some input through laboratory placements.’

Para 5.2.1 Change sentence ‘VD is leading with…’ to ‘Val Davison is leading the Technical Staff training group, Peter Howard volunteered to help with this.’

5.2.1 Change Batey to Baty

5.2.3 Delete last sentence

5.3.1 Change needing to needed

5.3.4 Change ‘Guidelines on FISH…’ to ‘Study Day on FISH …’

6.2 Change ‘TP reported of the…’ to ‘TP reported on the…’

6.4 Change ‘Six laboratories are…’ to ‘Six molecular genetics laboratories are…’.

8.1.1 Change UKGCC to UKCCG

8.1.3 Change UKGCC to UKCCG

8.1.5 Change UKGCC to UKCCG

8.3 Add post meeting note The decision is now due in March.

11.4 Change AMD to ADM

3.

Safety Advisors Report

There was nothing to report.

4.

NEQAS Ros Hastings

4.1

Pilot cases have been enters on the website. RH would welcome feedback on problems and suggested improvements. FISH EQA will be available mid-March

4.2

EQA Rounds

Acute leukaemia rounds were better. CVS reports will be sent out shortly and overall were good. Case scenarios will be sent out in April. Amniotic fluid reports are to be discussed at the steering committee.

4.3

The annual report is being compiled and will be presented at the Spring meeting.

4.4

2005-06

MDS will replace AML

The same constitutional rounds will be carried out.

Pilots will be carried out on QF-PCR, lymphoproliferative disorders, and solid tumors (organised by Nick Bown, Paul Roberts and Dominic McMullen)

4.5

Eurogentest

This is a European initiative for test development, harmonisation, validation and standardisation in Genetics laboratories across Europe. It is a large collaborative network under the EU 6^th Framework (FP6). There are 6 Units, each with a number of work groups. RH is co-ordinator for work package 4 (Organization and Harmonization of EQA for Cytogenetic Testing). Council felt that the ACC should seek to become involved. RH is to circulate details to allow further discussion in June. Action Ros Hastings

4.6

There is a new member of staff in the Cytogenetics NEQAS office, Robert Koghler, who has a full time administration position.

4.7

More overseas laboratories are interested in joining the scheme as participants. This may lead to a reduction in fees in the long term.

5

Education & Training

5.1

ETC

5.1.1

Pre-registration Training Officer

Gavin Cuthbert has been appointed at 0.5wte., with 0.6wte administration support. He will be responsible for organising the Residential Training course and will undertake all first assessments in Newcastle. It is possible that the ACC will pay for trainees to attend first assessments. GC is available to begin assessments immediately. KS  stated that feedback to trainers and Heads of Department would be by telephone.

5.1.2

A-Grades

20 trainees sat their final assessments in 2004

11 will sit their finals in March 2005

There were 38 entrants in 2003

There were 39 new entrants in 2004

KS reported that the UK laboratories appear to be at maximum capacity for training. The ETC planned to accommodate 50 trainees per year, but recruitment has levelled out at about 40 per year.

5.1.3

Residential Courses

There was discussion about the effectiveness of the residential courses. Trainees are responsible for their own theory training, but much of the residential work appears to be repeated in the laboratory. Syllabuses are sent to the laboratories as a set of bullet points, and the course is available on the training website. Changes are made to the course based on feedback. However while feedback from he trainees is positive, there is minimal or no feedback from trainers. Benefits will only be felt in the labs if they change their training programmes. LG suggested contacting HoDs and asking for a response from them. GC is to look at improving communication.

5.1.4

e-Learning

GC is to contact the laboratories and ask for material from them, particularly Health and Safety and ISCN questions for the trainees to use.

There was discussion about using the remaining DoH money to commission material for the training website. The ETC wanted to explore laboratory based training posts and e-learning.

A Heads of Department meeting was suggested to explore what help the laboratories would like.

It was decided that a questionnaire would be circulated to HoDs to seek feedback from them. This will be led by TP, KS, GC and another. Action TP

5.1.5

Assessment Structure

KS presented a draft of the proposed assessment scheme. Following the resignation of several assessors there are only 9 left, and the ETC are reluctant to train more. After discussion the draft was accepted by council. KS will now distribute it to the laboratories. Action KS

5.2

MTOs

5.2.1

Voluntary Registration Council

MF reported that the last meeting of the VRC was attended by a solicitor. The register can not open until a limited company has been formed. Once open the register is expected to act as a conveyor belt for groups seeking statutory registration.

An executive committee has been formed, to try to keep costs down. There is a short fall in DoH funding for the set up of the VRC. At present there is no funding from the DoH for 2005/06, although another business plan is to be presented to the DoH. The professional bodies have been asked to fund the shortfall in the meantime. TP stated that council would support the shortfall.

5.2.2

AGTC

The education board has been discussing the curriculum for the Genetics Technicians degree. They are to meet with HE providers to discuss this.

The AGTC are to circulate Heads of Department.

6

Chairs Report

6.1

National Occupational Standards

There have been two NOS workshops, attended by Stuart Imrie. The cytogenetics NOS have been signed off and circulated. Common NOS are being dealt with centrally. Work is now being done on mapping NOS to the HCS career stages. The February workshop was looking at training modules based around HCS career pathways.

There is to be a workshop on 14/15 March, to try to map NOS onto KSF dimensions.

6.2

Federation of Healthcare Scientists

Met 12 January, was poorly attended as this group struggles to become established.

6.3

Joint Committee on Medical Genetics

Met 13 January. The meeting was generally clinically orientated. There were updates on the IT programme and on the Consent and Confidentiality document.

6.4

Association of Clinical Scientists

6.4.1

TP needs to be re-nominated as a rep. Action TD

6.4.2

ACS would like to standardise the management competencies of pre-registration training modules.

6.4.3

All ACS assessors have to attend training at least every two years.

6.4.4

The possibility of publishing a good portfolio on the website was discussed. About 1/3 of al portfolios are initially rejected (also true across all professional groups). It was thought that the ACC could help by providing a good example and publicising common reasons for rejection.

6.5

HPC

6.5.1

CPD

HPC is still to provide feedback on CPD. Trial audits will be carried out in 2007 and will cover the period 2005-07, but will not include Clinical Scientists, who will probably be audited in 2008 (period 2006-08). HPC partners will check the returns. There is little guidance so far, but the emphasis is likely to be on what was done and learnt being relevant.

6.5.2

Restructuring

The size of the board is to be limited, to prevent it becoming to big as new groups join. This means that not all groups will have a seat. Restructuring is taking longer than thought.

6.6

The ACS is examining ways to take the MSc. forward. Derek Pearson is meeting with the HPC and the professional bodies. HPC requires a qualification that is relevant and satisfies QAA. Sue Hill also wants to formalise the MSc.

6.7

BSHG

Met on 25 January, but there was little of relevance.

6.8

Agenda for Change

TP had received generic HCS profiles from the FCS, for bands 7-9. These were circulated to the executive and those who had previously been working on the profiles. It was felt that the generic profiles could be useful, but that the profession specific profiles should not be abandoned.

PH asked about HCS profiles for bands 1-6. There are drafts available, but they can be provided for information only. Action RM

7

GenCAG

The January meeting was cancelled.

At a UKGTN workshop the draft genetic testing currencies were re-circulated. The effort is focused on the molecular genetics laboratories who are having problems with benchmarking tests and deciding how to get reference costs.

8

Scientific Matters

8.1

UKCCG

Will meet on 3 March.

8.2

Chromosome Abnormality Database

No report

8.3

CVS Database

A new version has been produced. It will be presented at the Spring meeting. The group will be able to accept more data. Discussions are being held with Australian and New Zealand laboratories about including their data.

8.4

Professional Standards Committee

8.4.1

Professional Guidelines Workshops

The Haematology workshop was held in February, was well attended and should produce robust guidelines. Mark McInley and Helen Dickinson are tying the proposed guidelines together and will be sending them to the PSC for 22 March.

TD is hosting the PND workshop in Bristol on 17 March.

The first appendices to the Professional Guidelines will be, FISH & Oncology, Haematological Oncology and Prenatal Diagnosis.

8.4.2

Data Collection

Everybody is onboard for the collection of this data. Ros Hastings is organising on-line collection, with just the FISH section still requiring testing. The website should be ready before the end of March.

8.4.3

QF-PCR

No agreement has been reached with CMGS regarding the wording of common guidelines for QF-PCR. After discussion it was decided by council that the only way forward was for the ACC and CMGS to ratify their own versions of the Guidelines. It will be up to laboratories to use which they feel is most appropriate. Action EM to distribute ACC guidelines

9

RCPath

9.1

IVD and CE Marking

Jon Waters has distributed a draft of the IVD document he prepared. Comments to JW. Action All

9.2

Part 1

23 cytogeneticists will be sitting this years exam, 13 molecular geneticists will also be sitting part 1.

9.3

LG is to attend a meeting of the Advisory Group for Clinical Science committee in April.

10

JLC Report

10.1

The majority of the communication with the JLC has been about concerns with registration. Trainees would like to see examples of successful portfolios, content and examples of further information. The JLC has also distributed information on the VRC for MTOs.

10.2

The JLC would like to take the lead in organising workshops for pre-registration Trainees. TD said that staff welcome the support, and that it would be a good idea to involve the assessors.

10.3

Spring Meeting

The JLC meeting in Salisbury will clash with the NEQAS meeting.

10.4

The JLC decided that the term Junior was probably the most appropriate for the JLC.

10.5

Council Reform

The role of the JLC is to inform and support junior members. THE JLC would encourage MTOs to be co-opted and when appropriate support permanent MTO positions.

10.6

JCMG Training Group

CW reported that there had been no meeting. KS said that she had heard no more, but that we need to have a named person who would be prepared to attend.

11

Membership of Council

11.1

Elections 2005

The following posts become vacant this year, Trustee, Assistant Secretary, 2 ordinary members and 1 JLC member. Rod Howell accepted the nomination for Trustee.

Action TD

11.2

Structure of Council

In view of the increasing MTO membership the structure of council was discussed. The election of MTOs as a discrete group (rather than as ordinary members) would require a rule change at AGM. The trustees have been asked to consider the structure of council, and to also take the views of senior members of the profession.

Action Rod Howell

12

Treasurers Report

12.1

Following some confusion at the bank, all signatories have been changed.

12.2

Professional Standards meetings

The standard charge for these meetings is £70, which enables expenses to be covered. However, fees will be reviewed in 12 months.

12.3

ACC Travel Awards

There were three applicants, 2 from Sheffield and 1 from Leeds, all were approved. All three will be asked to submit feedback to the Newsletter.

13

Correspondence

There was no correspondence.

14

Applications for membership

There were 14 applications, 8 from MTOs, all graduates.

15

Matters Arising from the Minutes of the Meeting 7 December 2004

6.2 John Barber is now the ACC representative on the Science Committee for the York meeting (??? Chair)

16

AOB

16.1

Ros Hastings reported that Debbie Lillington involved in the FP6 haematological group.

16.2

Ros Hastings reported that ECARUCA are seeking funding to produce guidelines for working with patients with rare chromosome disorders.

16.3

John Wolstenholme will attend an ECA board meeting and will be pressing for the ECA conference in Edinburgh in 2009. As yet there is no venue for 2007 (possibly Helsinki or Istanbul).

16.4

Following the circulation of the draft Consent and Confidentiality document, we are encouraged to put a statement on the referral card. ????? Do we need a physician to sign the card.

16.5

Eddie Maher is the ACC representative on the OBS for NHS wide genetic systems.

17

Next Meeting

14 June 2005

Cartwright Room

Canterbury Hall

London