Advocacy and Campaigns October 2021 update
Monday 25 October 2021
Anaesthesia Associates pre-qualification education framework
Following the move to regulate Medical Associate Professions, the General Medical Council (GMC) and Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) have published their draft pre-qualification learning outcomes and curriculum documentation for both Physician Associates (PA) and Anaesthesia Associates (AA). The outcomes document sets the expectations for a newly graduated PA or AA, focusing on professional outcomes. The curriculum document sets out the high-level clinical and professional learning outcomes and the level of capability expected of a graduating PA or AA student.
The GMC are seeking feedback on the framework to ensure it: meets the GMC’s standards; ensures patient safety is the first priority; helps to meet service, patient, and workforce needs; is deliverable; supports career flexibility and lifelong learning; is high quality, clear and easy to use; and embeds fairness.
The Association will be submitting an organisational response. However, if members are interested in submitting their own feedback, you can review the documentation and complete the survey by visiting the website here. The deadline is the 17th November. Please be aware that the GMC will be sharing the survey results with the RCoA.
Welsh Parliament workforce inquiry
The Senedd’s Health and Social Care Committee are running an inquiry into the healthcare workforce, with the aim to scrutinise the Welsh Government’s work to support and sufficiently staff the NHS. The Association have submitted evidence to the inquiry, making the case for a greater, more strategic recruitment drive of anaesthetists, and to bolster wellbeing provisions to ensure anaesthetists get the support they need. The Advocacy and Campaigns team will monitor the inquiry and engage with the Committee in the coming months.
Health Education England (HEE) workforce strategy
Similarly, HEE held a consultation on their refreshed workforce strategic framework. The Association submitted our response, making the case for increased efforts to train, recruit, and retain anaesthetists.
Scottish Government wellbeing fund
The Scottish Government have recently announced a £4 million fund to improve workforce wellbeing, and are asking health boards to identify the services which would most assist. Whilst the Association is continuing to engage with stakeholders on how best to improve wellbeing (including comprehensive mental health support and increasing rest facility provision), members may wish to approach their health boards with ideas which they have on how this investment could support them.
Anaesthesia in the Scottish Parliament
Following the meeting the President of the Association held with Scottish Conservative health spokesperson Dr Sandesh Gulhane last month, the politician subsequently raised issues concerning anaesthetic workforce shortages in Parliament and during media interviews. Hear what he had to say.
Environmental sustainability and COP26
The Association is engaging with politicians and other stakeholders in the run-up to the climate action COP26 conference in Glasgow next month. The Advocacy and Campaigns team have prepared a briefing document, detailing the work anaesthetists are doing to reduce emissions in their practice, and recommending what more needs to be done in order to ensure that decarbonisation of the health service and the wider supply chain is firmly on the agenda.
Contact
If you are interested to hear more about any of the above pieces of work, or have any questions, please do get in touch with Colton Richards, Advocacy and Campaigns Manager: [email protected]