2

Minutes of the Previous Meeting held on Tuesday 12^th March 2002

i

item 10 iii should read "….PCT will be…"

ii

item 10 iv should read "….will be circulated…"

iii

item 11 title should be "Safety Advisor's Report"

3

Safety Advisor's Report

A copy of the final document will also be sent to heads of department and will be placed on the ACC website.

ACTION  Council to read for accuracy and send any final comments or suggestions to Selwyn Roberts by the 12^th July (cc to secretary)

4

NEQAS/CPA

NEQAS

i

Teresa Davies, chair of the steering group reported from the meeting held 27^th May. The scheme is still in operation however there is a temporary hold on participation from non-UK laboratories until a scheme organizer has been appointed. CPA has been informed of the situation and HoDs will also be updated.

ii

Reports for the Haematology (AML) and Postnatal 2001/2002 EQA rounds are being prepared and will be issued in July and September respectively. The Prenatal EQA round will be dispatched in the Autumn

iii

Scheme Organiser post will be re-advertised and applications invited from potential candidates for the post.

iv

The Steering Group has discussed proposals to apply for pilot funding from CPA to test the use of electronic distribution of reference material and also to look at specifically organizing a rapid prenatal diagnosis EQA. Other plans include looking at improving quality control on re-distributed reference material.

v

Teresa Davies stated her intention to stand down as Chair of the steering group after the appointment of the scheme organiser.

ACTION  Teresa Davies to write to Dennis Kilshaw to clarify the procedure for appointing a new chair.

vi

Chair reported that CPA is to place adverts for new assessors in a number of publications (ACP news, the Gazette, College Bulletin, CPA newsletter and shareholders website) and the BSHG newsletter if possible. These assessors will inspect to the new standards. Training days are to be held for existing inspectors - 1 day for training to inspect to the new standards and in spring and a 1.5 day training course in "Inspector skills". All current genetics inspectors have confirmed their intention to carry on.

vii

Currently there is a SAC in Genetics and Semenology, one of six. The chairs of these groups form the overarching JAC (Joint Advisory Committee) which feeds into the CPA board. The CPA is proposing to disband the SACs and to replace with a single committee of fifteen members on which each specialty will be represented (usually a Consultant and BMS). Shareholding bodies will nominate members (Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath), Institute of Biomedical Scientists (IBMS), the Institute of Health Service Management (IHSM), Assoc. of Clinical Pathologists (ACP), Assoc. of Clinical Biochemists (ACB) and the Independent Health care Association (IHA).

viii

Pilot inspections have been performed in some disciplines using the new standards but none in a cytogenetics laboratory yet.

5

Education & Training / Professional Standards Committee

5.1

Education & Training

i

A meeting of the current ETC has not been held. Kim Smith has been invited and agreed to chair the ETC. Chair will organise a meeting.

ii

MRCPath Part 1 examination results 2002. There was a high success rate in this year’s exam (13/16 candidates passed). Congratulations are extended to all who passed and praise given to all who helped their colleagues in preparation for the exam.

iii

Sue Malcolm is to run a MRCPath self help course starting in September 2002 (as part of the London Genetics Knowledge Park). This will be similar in format to the Molecular Geneticists course. This course will be limited to 14 registrants and there will be a course fee.

5.2

Professional Standards Committee

Edna Maltby (Sheffield) has agreed to serve as the chair of this committee. There is an outstanding action from the previous minutes to write a description of this role.

ACTION  Secretary to write a reminder to existing committee members and copy to Edna Maltby

6

Chair's Report

i

Feedback from BSHG Council meeting of the 8^th May

Membership figures presented at the meeting: -

 

ACC	511
AGNC	220
BSHG	62
Cancer Genetics Group	78	(213 in total)
CGS	422
CMGS	357
Corporate Members	12

ACC Council discussed the need to compile and maintain an accurate membership list. Heads of Department have been asked by the secretary to audit the membership in their laboratories and inform her of any changes.

ii

The BSHG meeting included discussion of the Constitution with regard to the election of the chair and secretary and whether a change in the rules was required. There was a report from the chairman about GenCAG and discussion of the CMGS/Newcastle proposal – L2L in which Newcastle acts as the spoke/clearing house for molecular genetics tests and the billing thereof.

iii

JCMG meeting of the 20^th May. There is a working group to be set up under the chairmanship of Dr Steve Abbs (Guy’s Hospital). This group will consider workforce issues, specifically recruitment, retention and training (in response to Alan Milburn’s promise to double the number of healthcare scientists within the next 5 years). The first meeting is to be held on 18^th June. Stuart Imrie is a member of the working party and Kim Smith (ETC chair) will be invited to join.

Contract Currencies: It was reported that the intention is that the Commissioners will begin to use the contract currency data from April 2003. Although how the commissioners will use the data is unclear. Naomi Brecker reported that the commissioners have not been formally involved in the decision. The ACC has been asked to evaluate our proposed system and also to establish the reasons why labs which had originally volunteered to participate in the piloting of the scheme have subsequently not. The clinical currencies and the cytogenetic currencies do not have a cost assigned to their ‘units’, but no request was made that we should embark down this route at the moment. It was pointed out that a tacit agreement (to look at contract currencies) was not the same, as actively endorsing them, especially when there may be significant resource implications. It was reported that other specialties were also having problems with contract currencies. It was important that the data being recorded was valid and that there was a very clear understanding of what was being measured. Ron Zimmerman reported that contract currencies were an equivalent of time spent and therefore money spent. The aim was to reflect greater transparency in the NHS.

ACTION  Secretary to re-convene original ACC working group on contract currencies to look into why many laboratories did not participate in contract currencies. This is to include the laboratories that originally stated that they would. Also need to revisit the actual currencies and consider them in the wider context to include issues e.g. training commitment, variable capital costs etc.

UK genetic testing network: GenCAG is proposing to call a meeting on June 18^th inviting all Molecular Genetic HoDs, and representatives from DoH, Clinical Geneticists and commissioners. Discussions will include proposals for accountability and managerial functions as well as the principles under which the network will function. The L2L proposal will be discussed.

A working group has been set up to look at ICSI and the risks of clinical problems postnatally. Members will include DoH, HFEA and MRC

Consent and Confidentiality. This has been published in a booklet. The information is also available at the following website www.hgc.gov.uk/insideinformation/

Standards for Antenatal Screening for Down Syndrome. A letter of response to Pat Ward was sent by the Chair on behalf of Council summarising the collective comments.

Association of Clinical Scientists (ACS). Report from the meeting of 10^th June. They are currently working to compile the documentation for the award of the ACS Certificate of Attainment. The proposed timescale is for the paperwork to go to professional bodies in July with the earliest assessments in October this year. The documents are as follows: -

●

Types of evidence that are required to support an application for the Association of Clinical Scientists Certificate of Attainment.

●

Requirements for the award of Certificate (recognised modalities, training routes, form of assessment etc).

●

Competencies required (both generic and modality specific)

●

Application Form

●

Requirements for assessors for ACS Certificate of competence.

●

Form for nomination of assessors to ACS (by professional bodies)

●

Guidance notes for assessors

●

Report form for an assessment

Proposed costs:

Estimated length of each assessment:

Assessments will be held three times a year in February, June and October.

The ACC will need to nominate sufficient assessors (C grade with relevant training experience). This may prove difficult as there are limited numbers of people who fit the criteria and many of those already have significant other responsibilities. Training will be provided for all assessors.

ACTION  Chair to invite expressions of interest from potential assessors.

The ACC has paid a sum of £500 as its annual contribution towards the establishment costs of the ACS. Any further funding will come from assessment fees.

Federation of Health Care Scientist (FHCS). A consultation document giving the final structure of the FCS will be sent out shortly. There will be a meeting in October/November to discuss the final structure.

An important meeting is to be on 24^th June to discuss recruitment and retention, the Secretary of State for Health will attend. Two FCS members have been seconded to the DoH to look at these issues. The DoH philosophy is to raise the national profile of Health Care Scientists, promote flexible working and family friendly policies. The intention is for the DoH to tackle the recruitment and retention issues at a national level rather than the individual Healthcare professions.

Agenda for Change. The chair has received a number of documents. These were presented for information only

The DoH wants information to compose a knowledge and skills framework (cytogenetics not involved).

MSF/Amicus has produced a list of the 400 or so individual jobs that were used in the job evaluation exercise. It was noted that the number and type of clinical scientists chosen was unlikely to be representative of clinical cytogeneticists

7

GenCAG Report

Chair reported on behalf of Val Davison. At the last meeting issues discussed included ‘Quality Standards’ (QS) for genetics. These are to be taken forward to commissioners. The importance of laboratories being CPA accredited was stated. It was agreed that QS data would be made available to local purchasers.
Other items have been covered in the Chairman’s Report.

8

 Scientific Committee

John Wolstenholme has been elected to the board of the European Cytogenetics Association. The Association has asked whether the ACC is receptive to the possibility that a future European meeting could be held in the UK (2005 onwards). Council is willing to consider this in principal, John Wolstenholme will find out more information.

Update on the CVS CPM study. A CD-ROM version will be available to participating laboratories at BSHG meeting in York. Several European centres have expressed interest in this study and have offered to contribute data. As the study grows the possibility of maintaining the information on a publisher’s website is under preliminary consideration. Consultation with participating laboratories will be undertaken

9

Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath)

John Crolla has assumed the chair of the committee until November as Sue Malcolm is taking early retirement. If tradition is followed then the incoming chair will be a Clinical Cytogeneticist. An ACC nomination for the Committee is required.

There was discussion about how candidates with part 1 can be encouraged to take part 2 and a possible mentoring approach was suggested.

Graham Beastall (ACB) has been elected as the next Vice President of the College. This is the first clinical scientist to achieve such a significant post.

10

JLC Report

i

Richard Hall reported that the JLC session entitled "Introduction to the JLC" held during the ACC Spring meeting in Cambridge was well attended by junior members. Discussion included the composition and role of the ACC and council, the role of the JLC and various topical issues.

ii

Una Maye related concerns expressed by some junior members regarding the MRCPath examination and the perceived lack of support within their laboratories. Council recognised that this was a ‘self help’ issue and that whilst many centres had organised local groups with success, other centres needed to find a way to network with these.

ACTION  JLC to find out about the ‘self help’ groups in existence and whether they can include members from other laboratories.

11

Treasurer's Report

John Wolstenholme has taken on the responsibility for administering invoices from the ETC.

12

Correspondence

i

A new publication is available for managers of Healthcare professionals and Scientists: "Employing Allied Health Professionals & Health Care Scientists". The chair has taken out a subscription for a year.

A circular has been sent to all HoDs informing them of the ‘Health Care Scientist Roadshows’ the last of which is been held in Birmingham on 25^th June.

Professor Malcolm Ferguson-Smith has graciously accepted the invitation to become the next the president of the ACC.

13

Applications for membership.

i

The bid for a further year’s funding for the CAD had been agreed.

ii

The CVS CPM data collection was nearing completion.

14

AOB

The applications received were ratified by council.

ACC website: Recurrent problems with the website have meant that it has not been updated for several weeks. There is ongoing dissatisfaction with the current web host and an option would be to move the site to another host. With respect to the future of the web site it is felt that a keen "junior" member should be recruited.

ACTION  Mike Creasy to put together an option proposal for future of website to be circulated prior to next council meeting

E-mailing of agenda and minutes. It was agreed that the secretary could e-mail these to council members.

15

Date and Time of the next meeting

Tuesday the 3^rd September 2002 at the RIPH.