2010 for Junior Doctors in Wales

My colleague and Chair of the Welsh Junior Doctors Committee Dr Dai Samuel (pictured) looks at the year ahead for junior doctors in Wales.

"2010 brings new and ongoing challenges for the Welsh Junior Doctors Committee. With the introduction of the EWTD back in August 2009, as a committee we are constantly reviewing the impact this is having on the working and training lives of Doctors in Wales. Being part of external groups such as the Junior Doctors Review Group offers the BMA a voice within the Welsh Assembly Government as well as the Wales Deanery and I hope our relationship with both these organisations continues to flourish in the new year.

"An exiting project which will come to fruition this year will be the development of an Ambassador role for junior doctors in Wales as well as working with the Deanery to nurture a network of doctors working on the front line to assess and discuss issues relating to Quality Assurance in medical education.

"Our committee grew and matured last year and I hope that conference 2010 will prove a successful one for the committee. Establishing equal voting rights for devolved nations on JDC have been a source of concern in recent times and this will be undoubtedly be debated at conference. Negotiating a new contract lies on the horizon for UK JDC and I relish the challenge of ensuring that doctors in Wales get a palatable and attractive offer to remain here to work and live. This issue never strays far from the top of the agenda with WJDC and we continue to look at what could and does make Wales a unique place to live and work as a doctor. Links with WMSC continue to mature and I hope I can help encourage students to become doctors in Wales, and members of WMSC members of WJDC!

"My hope is that the committee will attract new members, particularly from hospitals away from the capital city. Our roadshow tours to hospital messes are proving popular and hopefully planting the seeds of interest for new members to attend a committee meeting! Seeing how we can change things and interact with Chief Executives of Local Health Boards is an example of how grassroot members’ voices and opinions have channelled our work plan this year.

"WJDC looks forward to working BMA Cymru, Welsh Council and other professional colleagues in 2010."

Dai Samuel Chairperson WDJC 2009-2010

Are you a junior doctor in Wales? What are your thoughts on issues facing junior doctors for the year ahead?

New year message from the Chair of Welsh Council, Dr Andrew Dearden

Well a New Year dawns and the snow has fallen again.

There are several big issues facing our profession in the coming year. Not least Revalidation and the preparations for its introduction.

I am pleased to say that due to the work of BMA Cymru Wales, our dedicated staff and Council members, we in Wales are well placed to agree an acceptable and GMC approved system that I think will be welcomed by the doctors in Wales. (see recent revalidation newsletter for details)

But we also face the worse financial situation the country and NHS has faced for many years, if not decades. We face real term funding / cash cuts to the NHS services. While we know who caused the problems we now face, as it was not us(!), it will fall to us to do what we can to protect the NHS and our patients from severe cuts to their medical services.

The new health boards desperately need our input, ideas and suggestions so we can adapt to the financial cuts without damaging cuts to healthcare provision in Wales. While NHS managers may not have listened to us (much) in the past, they really do need to take our advice and ideas now. Not to do so, would be a mistake.

Good Mental Health

My colleagues in our public affairs department had an interesting meeting with mental health charity Gofal Cymru today, which got me thinking.

They discussed Conservative AM Jonathan Morgan’s Mental Health LCO - which will help change the way in which mental health services are structured and delivered in Wales, and we, alongside Gofal and others continue to support reform.

Their meeting however, soon moved onto the problems we face in Wales in relation to mental health.

The report published by the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, the Wales Audit Office, Estyn and Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales late last year which I blogged about certainly highlights that mental health services in Wales are still failing young people.

What I find exceptionally worrying though, is the issue of social stigma.

People find mental health an uncomfortable topic of conversation, and many people conceal their illness as a result of the social stigma surrounding it. But mental health problems are extremely common - it is estimated that one in four of us will develop mental ill health at some point in our lives.

The social stigma attached to mental illness, the need for better education and the lack of funding are at the forefront of discussions in this area.

Misconceptions and stereotypes of mental illness must be dispelled if we are to remove the social stigma which still exists. Education is the key to achieving this, partly through public health education, but also in the classroom.

Until society respects the rights of individuals facing mental health problems, we will not be able to provide an effective service.

Service users and carers should be treated with dignity and respect and should not be afraid to speak out about their problems.

There is a real need for a fundamental re-think of attitudes and responses to mental health.

Good mental health is a priority for us all, and the Government have a golden opportunity available now to reshape mental health services in Wales - which I hope they grasp with both hands because we still have a long way to go.

Have you been a victim of social stigma? Share your experience with us.

2010 for Consultants in Wales

My Colleague and Chair of the Welsh Consultants Committee Dr Stefan Coghlan (pictured), has considered what 2010 will look like for Consultants in Wales.

"I expect this to be a difficult year for Consultants in Wales as we see the financial belt tightening further.

"With 7 to 10 % Cost Improvement programmes up and running in the new LHBs, the prospect of a further 10% cut in the budget allocation to Wales and demand ever increasing for specialist services, we can expect a tough year or two ahead.

"I have written before about the pressures on Consultants to fill gaps left by EWTD, and there is increasing evidence that poor planning by Trusts (and now LHBs) is leaving consultants to pick up the pieces.

"Is there any good news?

"Well, the Access targets are likely to be relaxed as the NHS simply can not afford to treat all patients within the 26 week timescale. The Minister herself has emphasised the need to treat patients on the basis of clinical priority as determined by Consultants.

"Revalidation may not be embraced quite so willingly by governments with stretched finances and little evidence of the benefit that this additional bureaucracy will bring.

"BMA Cymru Wales is exploring the possibility with partners of a Wales solution to revalidation.

"It may be a year or two before we see the benefits of integrating primary and secondary care, but there remains the real possibility of Consultants being able to lead the delivery of specialist care whether in the acute setting or in the community in partnership with GP colleagues."

Wishing you a happy new year.
Dr Stefan Coghlan
Chairman WCC

Do you agree with Stefan's predictions? Are you a Consultant in Wales? What are your predictions?

Welsh General Practice in 2010

Happy New Year to members and regular readers.

My colleague and Chair of the Welsh GP Committee Dr David Bailey (pictured), looks at the year ahead for GPs in Wales.

"The financial downturn will limit innovation in practice and certainly new premises development and we will need to concentrate on maintaining and improving existing services.

"Whilst I’m conscious of the difficulties greater morbidity and deprivation brings to Welsh practices, one quick win would be organisational change to improve access. Many practices still use the “advanced access” templates which don’t deliver what patients need because of artificial phone barriers. A reasonable window to make quick appointments and keeping principle premises open throughout core hours would address many patient complaints at a stroke and should be our aim.

"The advent of new Health boards brings the potential for improving working relationships and new innovative services. It is to be hoped that this opportunity won’t be thrown away by them failing to engage GPs in designing service change and drowning us in unnecessary bureaucracy – time will tell.

"We can but hope that Doctors and Dentists Review Body does not listen to those in government who do not recognise the fantastic value we still provide.

"Through it all as usual General Practice will continue to be the one constant in patient’s experience of the NHS and the jewel in it’s crown."

Happy New Year!

David

Do you agree with David's predictions for the year ahead? Tell us what you predict.