News and opportunities

Training

• The next NET Training days are looking good. On June 3rd we will be meeting at the Whittington Hospital, for a programme focused on smoking. It will include level 1 smoking cessation training, which is a requirement for CCT, so come and get an easy curriculum sign-off! On June 30th we will be at UCL for a day on difficult asthma and allergy. There is also a GIM training day on June 15th. Cancel your clinics now to make sure you can attend. We await confirmation of a date for a training day themed on ILD.
• Not a NET Training Day, but open to you if you can get the time off, there is a Pulmonary and Exercise Physiology Day at Basildon on June 17th. Email: christine.wayman@btuh.nhs.uk if you want to attend.
• Upcoming Teach-Ins at the Royal College of Physicians include: Cardiology – modern management of arrhythmias on June 2nd. These are free, and usually include high quality up-to-date speakers and presentations.  A good source of GIM CPD points.
• Don’t forget courses on occupational lung disease at the National Heart and Lung Institute including: Practical Statistics for Clinical Researchers 23rd June and 30th October; Occupational Lung Disease Keeping up to date on 22nd September, and Introductory Medical Statistics – Thursday 1 to Friday 2 October 2015.
• Upcoming BTS short courses include: Integrated Respiratory Care on June 8th, Preparing for the SCE on 24th June,  andPulmonary Vascular Disease on 8th September.
• ARCPs are fast approaching on July 1oth. Check the ARCP decision aid, and our recently produced ARCP checklist and get those assessments done.
• Interested in medical education? Consider attending this course: Developing Health Educators for the Future on Tuesday 7th July
• Interested in EBUS? Why not go to the Basic EBUS training course 2015 on July 10-11th in Maidstone? It includes hands-on training and slide preparation.

Jobs/Research opportunities

Prof Graham Bothamley is looking for a clinical research fellow, focused on TB, working 50% clinical 50% research from October 2015. Get in touch with him directly if interested, or talk to Jess or Richard for a bit more info. The job is advertised on NHS jobs.

• Also the Oxford Deanery has a Clinical Fellow post in Lung Cancer and respiratory interventions. The job reference is 321-S6-736-BT. The current post holder was from NWT and has recently been appointed to a Consultant position which is why she is leaving. Please contact Anny.Sykes@ouh.nhs.uk  directly for further details.
• Remember to factor in the rules around OOPRs and the necessary permissions and notice to the TPD and LETB.

Committees

• The next Respiratory Training Programme Management Committee will be held on Mon 13th July. Let us know what you are concerned about and what you want us to discuss.We are planning to highlight:
  • Training Days and curriculum coverage
  • ICU placements – duration and location
  • USS training
  • ARCP process – hopefully all will go smoothly this year
  • Relocation/travel costs – inconsistencies in guidance
• There is a new BTS STAG SpR Rep, Dr. Faiza Chowdhury (based in Yorkshire, but currently doing PhD in London) who wants to gather views from trainees across the country, in preparation for the annual meeting at the Winter BTS. Please contact us, or Angshu, with things you want to feedback to the BTS STAG. The STAG is the Specialist Training Advisory Group, whose aim is to represent your views on your training and education during your NTN. They have close links with SAC (curriculum), RCP and JRCPTB so can represent your views and effect change. Some of the STAG priorities include:
  • Regional respiratory training days guidelines
  • A speciality reading list (for SCE and general interest)
  • Standardisation of recording of USS, procedures & clinics, possibly through an app
• We really should make better use of the STAG so please get in touch with:
  • Any issues or concerns that trainees are struggling with in your region (we will be highlighting patchy USS training/signoff, frequent curriculum changes, and inconsistencies in ARCP/PYA requirements)
  • Examples of good practice in your region that you would like to share (we will be highlighting EBUS training at Homerton and Basildon, this website, and the integrated care job at Whittington)