SPAN Launch Meeting 02052006

1
SPAN Launch Meeting 02/05/2006

• The Specialty Advisers Consultation
• Implications for the Network
• Dr Jeremy Thomas
• Consultant Pathologist NHS Lothian
• Specialty Advisor in Histopathology

2
The Process

• The Specialty Adviser is appointed by SEHD
• Job decscription
• Consultation and the Annual Meeting

3
Advisory Structure
CMO
SMASAC
Specialty Advisers
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The Consultation

• Prescribed structure headings
• Free rein on method of consultation
• Relatively tight time frame

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The Headings

• Current issues affecting the specialty
• Delivering for Health
• Medical workforce planning
• MMC

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Current Issues 1

• Workload and workforce5 annual increase in
  specimen numbersScreening programmesNurse
  practitionersHerceptinStatic workforce

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Current Issues 2

• ModernisationITMolecular medicineCervical
  cytologyBMS careers incl role extensionSPAN

Technology

Organization
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Delivering for Health

• Reducing the health gap
• Managing people with long-term conditions
• Establishing new health and social care services
  in communities
• Accelerating improvements in mental health
  services
• Building on recent progress on waiting times
• Streamlining emergency hospital care
• Increasing day case surgery
• Increasing the range of locally available
  diagnostic services
• Strengthening healthcare in remote and rural
  areas

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Building on recent progress on waiting times

• Reorganizing cancer diagnostic services - Rapid
  processing - Clinics MDMs - Extended working
  day for labs - Improving logistics

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Increasing the range of locally available
diagnostic services

• In histopathology (and cytopathology) the trend
  is in the opposite direction
• Good IT would improve the potential communication
  impact of this trend

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Strengthening healthcare in remote and rural areas

• Good IT and communication- Test requesting and
  reporting
• - Video-conferencing

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Overview of the Scottish Pathology Workforce 1

• Consultant vacancy rate 6 - compares
  favourably with rest of UK (10)
• Difficulty filling vacancies but probably better
  than two years ago
• Anticipated consultant retirement rate (assuming
  age 65) is double UK average between 2007 2016
• 27 of Scotlands consultant histopathologists
  are 55 against a UK average of 20
• Pathology is becoming specialised in the centres
  and that reduces staffing flexibility
• Severe pressure points emerging in
  neuropathology, paediatric pathology and
  forensics

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Overview of the Scottish Pathology Workforce 2

• Female consultants 36 in Scotland UK average
  33
• Female trainees 62 Scotland UK average 56
• Recruitment of good trainees is not a problem at
  the moment but the collapse of pathology in the
  undergraduate curriculum and its near absence in
  F1Y/F2Y bodes very ill for the future
• There is difficulty retaining trained trainees in
  Scotland because of inertia by some employers
  replacing posts.
• BMS staff remain difficult to recruit and retain
  because of a poor career structure, low pay and a
  trend over the past five years to decimate
  selectively the senior grades following repeated
  laboratory reviews. This limits scope for
  developing extended roles of BMSs and other
  aspects of career progression.

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Medical Workforce Planning

• Changes in working practice- Teaching centres
  BMS cut up- AP reporting of CC training in
  the future- Digital imaging and CC reporting

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Modernising Medical Careers

• FY2 and Pathology
• Run through training

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Conclusions

• Channels of communication for the specialty
• The place of SPAN
• The need to develop an agenda and ensure wide
  ownership