WPBA for SAS doctors

It is likely that SAS doctors will be involved with WPBA at 2 levels, firstly as clinical supervisors for ST1-3 doctors and secondly completing WPBAs themselves for article 14 applications for specialist registration.

The CEM strongly supports the involvement of SAS doctors in WPBA and would encourage participation in WPBA training days to become assessors.

SAS doctors who wish to apply via article 14 will have most like been involved in WPBA with Foundation trainees and will appreciate how valid WPBAs are, as they actually assesses performance in the work place and are a potent stimulus for learning. The CEM believes that a combination of WPBAs, together with a test of knowledge (FCEM) and a global view of a doctor’s performance in the work place (MSF or 360 degree appraisal) are good indicators of the ability to function as an EM consultant and would be regarded as strong evidence for an article 14 application.

There are likely to be two types of article 14 applications, those doctors who are in training posts, but wish to have their previous experience counted towards their training and because they have not completed a PMETB recognised training programme would not be eligible for a CCT, but for a CESR. The second group of doctors applying for Art 14 will be those in SAS posts, with a variety of different backgrounds before they settle in EM. The advice in this section is mainly for this second group of article 14 applicants.

The CEM has written ‘specialty specific guidelines’ (SSG) for Art 14 applications, which we would advise are carefully read before any application is made to PMETB. These SSG’s reflect the ACCS and EM curriculum and outline the evidence which needs to be produced. This can be found at https://secure.collemergencymed.ac.uk/CEM/Equivalence/

Evidence of competencies in all the specialties of ACCS and EM curriculum should ideally be submitted i.e. AM, anaesthetics, ICM, PEM and MSK. If a SAS doctors has previously completed a post, such as acute medicine, but many years ago it would not be reasonable to expect them to produce WPBA for that post. A detailed description of this post (including case mix and on call commitments) together with a letter of satisfactory completion form the supervising consultant would suffice.

Competencies in specialties that have not been covered in previous employment would be very suitable for assessment using WBTA. If for instance a SAS doctor had not previously completed any Paediatric training then the WPBA package outlined in the ST3 section would be good evidence to submit for an Art 14 application.

For each of the 3 non EM specialties in ACCS it would be ideal to submitted x 6 WPBA. Please refer to the non EM ACCS web site for details of topics covered (link). These WPBAs would need to be a mix of Mini CEX, DOPS and CBD, but not necessarily in equal proportions.

Likewise for the ST3 specialties it would be ideal to submit x 6 WPBAs in both PEM and MSK. Again there needs to be a mix of all the assessment tools, but not necessarily in equal proportions.

Evidence of competencies in the EM component of training could be shown by submitting x 10 WPBAs from the list provided in the ST4-6 section (but not the list in the EM ACCS training section).

A global view of the SAS doctor’s clinical and senior leadership function would be demonstrated by a suitably validated MSF or 360 degree appraisal that had been completed in the last year. This must include a minimum of 10 work colleagues.