Regrading to Associate Specialist

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Re-grading to Associate Specialist

• Ashok Beckaya MBBS MRCPCH DCH DCCH
• Associate Specialist
• Paediatrics Child health
• Epsom St. Helier University Hospitals

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Re-grading to Associate Specialist

• Good time to re-grade

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Benefits of Re-grading for Doctor

• Recognition and reward
• Improved pay and pensions
• Improved morale
• Senior

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Benefits of Re-grading for Employers

• Retention
• Improved medical staff morale
• Better quality service and patient care
• Reputation
• Relatively inexpensive

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Re-grading - Minimum entry criteria

• Ten years medical work
• Minimum 4 years in staff, registrar or equivalent
  grade

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Re-grading Other considerations

• Experience
• Qualifications
• Clinical expertise
• Quality of patient care
• Multi-disciplinary team working
• Audit work
• Teaching
• Leadership qualities

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Re-grading

• The procedure is standardised in Scotland, Wales
  Northern Ireland
• In England, there is no standard procedure
• Differences between Trusts exists

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Re-grading - Steps

• Step 1 Make sure you satisfy the minimum entry
  criteria
• Step 2 Consider why you should be re-graded
  (Think about your work and role you play in the
  department)
• Step 3 Speak to your Clinical Director about
  your desire to re-grade
• Step 4 Chat to all other Consultants in the
  department

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Re-grading - Steps

• Step 5 Talk to other medical and nursing
  colleagues and list support
• Step 6 Include re-grading in your personal
  developmental plan at your appraisal
• Step 7 Update your CV

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Re-grading - Steps

• Step 8 Draw up a job plan with the help of
  Clinical Director. This should include fixed
  sessions and protected time for CME, Audit and
  admin.
• Step 9 Full details of out of hours and
  unsocial hours

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Re-grading

• Submit your application along with
• - Covering letter
• - Personal statement
• - Job plan
• - CV

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Re-grading

• College approval
• Interview

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Good Luck with your Re-grading

• Questions?

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Award of Optional and Discretionary points

• It is not automatic
• You must apply using the agreed format of your
  Trust
• Your application is judged by a Decision Making
  Group (DMG)

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Award of Optional and Discretionary points

• Sell yourself vigorously
• Do not be modest
• It is worth spending time thinking about what you
  do

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Award of Optional and Discretionary points -
Eligibility

• Staff doctors on new (1997) contract and AS in
  full and part-time posts
• Only after reaching top of the automatic
  incremental pay scale
• Trust usually have 1 round of points awards per
  year and will invite all eligible doctors to apply

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Award of Optional and Discretionary points - DMG

• Comprises of
• - Medical Director
• - HR Director
• - SASG
• - Consultant

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Award of Optional and Discretionary points
Application Form

• Clinical expertise
• Quality of patient care
• Undertaking heavy workload or responsibilities
• Contribution to professional and
  multidisciplinary team working
• Research, innovation and improvement in service
• Clinical audit
• Contributions to management and administration
• Teaching and training
• Wider contribution to the work of the NHS
  nationally

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Application form general points to consider

• Think about your application and do not rush to
  fill
• Remember, you need to present best picture of
  your professional work
• Take advice
• Use bullet points

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Application points general points to consider

• Language concise reader friendly
• Do not leave any section blank
• Writing must be legible
• Use every opportunity to emphasise your strong
  points

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Clinical Expertise

• Number of years experience
• Higher qualifications
• What you are particularly good at and lead role
• Participation in CPD activities

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Quality of patient care

• Extra clinics
• Outreach clinics
• Your positive response to audit findings
• Changes to ward/clinic/theatre practices
• Protocols
• Innovation
• Correspondence from patients

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Undertaking heavy workload or responsibilities

• Number of fixed sessions
• On call commitments
• Do you cover for absent colleagues
• Travel long distances
• Are you the only provider of a certain aspect of
  service
• Flexible working

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Contribution to professional and
multidisciplinary team working

• Meeting you have chaired
• Details of team meetings you have introduced
• Presentations you have made
• Professionals you work closely with
• How you keep other team members informed

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Research, innovation and improvement in service

• Research project
• Implementation of improvements to the service
  from literature
• Your practice leading to
• - Improved efficiency
• - Reduced wastage
• - Financial savings

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Clinical audit, administration and management

• Describe your involvement in clinical audit
• Rotas
• Arranging meetings

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Teaching and Training

• Informal and formal teaching
• Training of medical and nursing staff in certain
  procedures
• Education talks to patient associations
• Organising special educational study days

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Wider contribution to the work of the NHS
nationally

• Medical Royal College work
• Participation in conferences
• BMA committee work

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Award of Optional and Discretionary points -
Outcome

• Successful or Unsuccessful
• It is not the end of the world if your
  application is unsuccessful
• Ask for a feedback
• Try again

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Award of Optional and Discretionary Points

• Appeal process you must take advice from BMA
  and clinical director

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Hope this has been useful

• Questions?