Canterbury Hall, Cartwright Gardens, London
Tuesday 5th December 2006
Kim Smith (Chairman)
Teresa Davies (Secretary)
John Wolstenholme (JWo) (Treasurer)
Rob Morgan (Assistant Secretary)
Jonathan Waters Gordon Lowther Edna Maltby
Sandra Birdsall Beverley Royston Stephen Mountford
Karen Thompson Suzanne McPhee Simon McCullough
Fiona Harding Mandeep Bahra Amanda Dixon-McIver
Rod Howell Ros Hastings Peter Howard
1
Apologies were received from Val Davison, John Crolla and Maj Hulten
2
Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday 5th September 2006
Were agreed.
3
Chairs report
3.1
KS has written to Tony Parkin to thank him for his contribution to the profession as Chair of the ACC for the last three years.
3.2
KS thanked Val Davison for co-ordinating Councils comments and producing a response on behalf of the ACC.
3.3
KS thanked JWo for co-ordinating Councils comments and producing a response on behalf of the ACC. There were some concerns over groups who were consulted. Action KS to speak to Diane Kennard
3.4
3.4.1
Comments required by 6th December, KS feels they are acceptable.
3.4.2
Comments are required by 12th January 2007. Currently assessors need to be from the relevant part of the HPC register. In approving programmes education providers may wish to appoint assessors from a different profession. Council agreed amendment acceptable.
3.4.3
Comments are required by 6th February 2007. Consultation on fees has been published and distributed to registrants. The consensus of Council was to support option 2.
Action KS to respond.
3.4.4
Comments are required by 1st March 2007. Routes of entry will need to be defined and documentary evidence of threshold entry qualifications provided. Documentary evidence of external quality assurance of training will also be required. Training is in place at present, but does not currently have external QA. This may affect MTO registration.
Action KS to respond.
3.5
UKGTN acknowledged the publication of the report and the recommendations, and enquired about the structures to take this forward.
Quality control. Professional Standards Committee has already agreed to set up a working group to decide best practice.
Multi-centre prospective cohort trial. It was felt that the professions might be in a better position to co-ordinate this.
Carol Delaney is to distribute a questionnaire on reporting standards, and report back the findings to the PSC. RHa pointed out that many platform suppliers are setting up their own user groups.
Action KS to respond to the UKGTN that the profession is taking the report forward.
3.6
Nick Telford has completed a draft questionnaire to collect information on cancer genetic services and compliance with the Cancer manual standards. There was discussion over whether it should be biased towards meeting the standards or an open audit against the standards. When finalised the questionnaire will be sent to Heads of Laboratories. GL requested that it should be on ACC headed paper.
3.7
This was launched in July 2006 and introduces the concept of a NICE for diagnostics. College members are asked to comment.
Action: TD to circulate to HoDs and to collate responses.
3.8
Dianne Kennard at the DH has asked if we have volume/data trends that they can use. It was agreed that trends can be obtained from the “part 1” data recently collected. However the future is difficult to predict with rapidly changing technology and cancer is an open market. It was agreed that the DH data could be estimated against population for non-responders.
Council welcomed the fact that we were asked for the data, and it was suggested that it could be fed to the DH regularly. It was also suggested that the DH should ask the users of the service what they want, as users want more than can be provided.
Action: EM to provide volume data from Part 1 data. KS to respond to DH.
3.9
Gavin Cuthbert is working on the new website within the BSHG format and expects to activate it shortly. KS has asked for a password protected area for consultation and draft documents . The Genetic Technologists also want an independent area they can administer themselves.
3.10
Work on a standardised format and document control is underway.
3.11
Information on the trainee profile has been circulated to HoDs. Harmonisation with existing trainees is to be arranged locally.
3.12
JCs proposal for research bursaries was discussed. It was thought the proposal may exclude many current members working in diagnostic laboratories. However there does need to be a culture change in laboratories, with clinical scientists doing more research and development. This may be encouraged by members bidding for smaller grants to help development in their own laboratories. This may also help to spread the money wider. Council have asked JC to do a further piece of work to set up a structure to promote R&D in NHS laboratories. This would also include a group to review applications, possibly the Science Committee.
Actions: KS to feedback to JC
JC – structure
JWa – review
Projects should be service related and open to all grades, but not A grade projects. It is hoped this can be agreed at the March Council meeting and announced at the Spring Meeting.
3.13
Council agreed a donation to the RCPath education centre.
3.14
JWo requested that new signatories were agreed at this meeting.
See item 11.1
3.15
KS asked JLC to prepare an example portfolio format for recording evidence for CPD (and possibly KSF). This will need to be done by July 2007 to tie in with the two year retrospective CPD review by HPC in 2009. Many departments already record CPD activities and a useful start would be to identify what is already in use.
3.16
A proposal was circulated to Council members prior to the meeting. The proposal was accepted with the following amendments:-
Term of office: fixed at 3 years and is renewable, depending on projects underway.
Also, Chairs of committees sit on Council as non-voting members, unless already an elected Council member.
For standing committees – Chair approved by Council after nomination by either Council or sub-committee.
JLC will require a name change, this will require a rule change and will have to be notified to members 8 weeks before an AGM or Special general meeting.
4
4.1
The Genetics Working Group (Kim Smith, Tony Parkin and Eileen Roberts for Cyto and David Baty, Sarah Warburton and Anneke Seller for Molecular) has been very productive. All members are prepared to continue working on current SfH project. They presented their work on the Genetics pilot at a Clinical Scientists think tank on 4 December 2006.
Evaluation of the SfH draft Scope of Practice for registration of clinical scientists. They felt this was appropriate and supported it.
Presented outline training programme with common genetics training, specialist cytogenetics/molecular genetics training, and introduction topics that could be taught more widely across HCS and life sciences. All groups signed up to the general training.
Emphasised that training must produce a “fit for purpose” individual and that they did not agree with diluting specialist training.
Identified concerns with SfH proposal (duration, must be laboratory based, e-learning, professions control of the syllabus, R&D components, six year route) and raised questions about the infrastructure.
Raised issues with the proposal to workforce plan one trainee per potential consultant vacancy as not suitable for a regional service and a small, young profession.
Presented RCPath consultant Scope of Practice as recommended in document produced by LG and agreed by discussion in Council.
Emphasised that the whole of training must be addressed not just pre-registration in isolation. Funding and structures are also required for HST and technical training. SfH funding is limited, and the DoE may need to be approached.
Concerns over the implementation timescale were raised.
There was general agreement from the professions over scope of practice, most modality groupings had concerns about HST and trainee salaries. Discussion highlighted current differences in training structures and therefore different responses to SfH proposals.
SfH suggested a meeting with Genetics in early 2007 to discuss wider training, embracing HST and technical staff.
4.2
Stuart Imrie attended a meeting called by SfH to review rewritten general NOS and to validate on behalf of the professions. SfH want to reduce the number of NOS. They will work with the professions to rewrite the specific NOSs.
4.3
Gavin Cuthbert reported that all is progressing well.
KS has asked Dianne Kennard about ongoing funding for National and regional trainers, possibly using outstanding white paper training money. However, until the 07/08 DH budget has been set it will not be possible to discuss this further. The feeling is that the budget will be tight with no spare money.
4.4
Sian Morgan is the HST/RCPath trainee representative on ETC. ETC have asked her and Simon McCullough to use the JLC laboratory contact network to :-
Identify MRCPath study groups
Assess availability of information about groups and study structures
Assess opportunities to participate in study groups
Investigate the study strategies for groups with high success rates
Assess access for people from other laboratories
Also
Investigate training opportunities for post-registration CS not pursuing MRCPath
Are their CPD/training needs met by current ACC study days and local education
Identify needs and inform planning of study days
4.5
Sarah Willis presented NOS based competencies for use in training. ETC asked for these to be developed further into a training manual. A sub-group is to be formed to agree a joint cytogenetics/molecular format, which each side can populate with speciality specific details. This was discussed with SfH as the NOS are being rewritten and they recommended waiting until after the genetics meeting next year before deciding to proceed with existing NOS format.
4.6
Steve Morris will be updating the careers information sheet. GC is to add a careers link button to the website.
4.7
Gordon Lowther was nominated as the new Chair of ETC and this was accepted by Council.
PH congratulated KS for all the work she had done as Chair of ETC.
5
5.0
Karen Thompson reported
The AGT committee now has 10 members, with Michelle Fenlon, Sarah Willis, Beverley Royston and Karen Thompson representing Cytogenetic Technologists.
5.1
The minutes of this meeting were distributed before Council met.
5.2
Janice Nunn will be writing to HoDs to advise on the type of reference required for Genetic Technologists references for registration.
5.3
The AGTC are recommending that staff record CPD. It was suggested that AGTC should lead by example and produce information for the website.
5.4
The IBMS representative on the Genetics NQAAP is due to retire from the panel, and the AGTC have been invited to nominate a member to join the panel. Michelle Fenlon has written to the Chair, Roger Mountford, regarding their nomination.
5.5
Janice Nunn will approach the CMGS about having pages on their website and KT is liasing with Gavin Cuthbert about AGTC pages on the ACC website.
5.6
At the moment very few technologists are registered. KS suggested that a newsletter could be produced for technologist staff. It was also suggested that a list of laboratory contact names should be produced. KS asked TD to contact HoDs to remind technical staff about registration.
Action: TD to e-mail HoDs about technologist registration.
6
6.1
Professional guidelines for Haemato-oncology, Chorionic Villus sampling, Postnatal samples and General guidelines were presented to Council. Minor changes were required for the Haemato-oncology, Chorionic Villus and General guidelines, which Council agreed could then be published, with review after 12 months. Some differences between the general and postnatal guidelines were noted and will be harmonised. GL asked when the guidelines will come into force, RHa stated that there will be some lead in time to allow laboratories to change practice where required.
TD said that there will be notification in the newsletter when the guidelines are published.
6.2
EM reported that a workshop will be organised.
6.3
The performance data has been collected, although 5 laboratories have not responded (compared with three last time). Results will be available late January or February.
KS pointed out that a large amount of data was collected on individual probes, and asked how useful this was. She suggested that we agree a multi-purpose data set, that could also be used for the GenCAG quality markers.
Action: PSC to review
TD proposed a vote of thanks to the PSC and EM thanked all those who had organised workshops.
7
Letters have been sent to HoDs and Trust Chief Executives inviting Cytogenetics laboratories to join UKGTN for the provision of specialist tests.
8
8.1
A meeting was held in November. TD is to invite a member, possibly Christine Harrison, to provide feedback to Council.
Action: TD to invite Christine Harrison
8.2
RHa reported that they had been CPA inspected, and that there were 7 non-critical non-compliances.
9
9.1
The SAC met on 23 November.
They noted the advice published on the HTA and its impact on Genetics. John Crolla will act as an unofficial advisor on HTA.
JCMG are to recommend to the NSC that karyotyping is the preferred method for diagnosis for Down syndrome.
The new exam process starts in 2007. The structure of the essay questions will be different and the practical exam will be in the autumn. Some concerns have been expressed about the feedback.
JC presented a paper on DH proposed changes to training.
Academic activities: There is to be a Genetics ‘Not in the Text Books’ on 25 October 2007. Sian Morgan has prepared a draft programme.
The RCPath Life Sciences Taskforce is considering the roles and responsibilities of the non-medical workforce and issues around how to make it fit for purpose.
George Gray (Biochemist, Birmingham) is leading on obtaining money for e-learning.
Genetics White paper review – responses have been received from the ACC, CMGS, NGRL and an RCPath response prepared by JC.
9.2
An official response on DS testing is awaited from NSC. It was noted that from April 2007 London is to reduce funding for karyotyping to 70% and clinical units will have to decide which patients get a full karyotype.
9.3
This meeting was not attended.
9.4
John Barber is stepping down from the Scientific Committee. This is the committee that organises the annual scientific meeting. John Waters will represent the constitutional Cytogeneticists and Maj Hulten will be invited to take on the academic cytogenetics role.
10
10.1
JLC thanked Tony Parkin and Hazel Harvey-Smith for their presentations in York. The presentations were poorly attended, and the JLC also thought that attendance at the AGM was poor.
Council discussed moving the AGM to the Spring Meeting, however the earliest this can be done will be 2008.
10.2
JLC will have a slot at the Spring A-grade training meeting to inform new trainees of ACC structure and issues.
10.3
The draft terms were circulated prior to the meeting. It was noted that the ToR need to include that the term of office is 3 years.
There was discussion that the term Junior may not be the best and may be age-ist. The draft also does not describe how the chair is chosen/elected.
It was agreed that the JLC should meet separately and come back to Council with proposals.
11
11.1
JWo reported that the accounts were healthy, with just one outstanding invoice.
New signatories were agreed – John Wolstenholme, Teresa Davies, Kim Smith, Karen Thompson and Amanda Dixon-McIver.
When the current account was opened we were given free banking for a limited period, which has now expired. In order to reduce costs JWo would like to move to internet banking. Some concerns were raised about security and access to the account. In general Council were happy to move this forward. A new claim form will be put on the website.
Action: JWo and ADM are to work together to draw up procedures for internet banking. JWo and TD will sign the authorisation for internet banking. JWo will be the primary user and KS and ADM will be secondary users.
11.2
There have been no requests for the travel fund. The ECA meeting will be in Istanbul, and this may prompt more enquiries.
12
There was no correspondence to report.
13
There have been no applications since the last Council meeting.
14
3.9 TP is to be asked for update on paper on developing UK Genetics Services
5.5 GL to carry on working on this with RHa
7.3 KS and GC are working on this
15.3 Structure of Council – PH to identify outstanding items from proposal
15
15.1
ADM enquired about colours for new ACC section of the BSHG newsletter.
Action: ADM to work with publisher.
15.2
TD to work with Maj Hulten on proposal on behalf of profession.
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6th March 2007 Cartwright Hall, London