Training and assessing our trainees is dependant upon frequent workplace based assessments (WBAs) and a system of regular feedback to the trainee. This is obviously a two-way process and trainers and trainees alike must take responsibility for successful training.

• Mr Mark Butterworth is the Programme Director and will have an overview of all the trainees in Edinburgh.

• At induction trainees will be allocated to an “assigned educational supervisor” (AES). This will apply to ALL STs and LATs.

• CT1 and CT2 trainees have their an AES assigned by the University but all consultants will act as their clinical supervisors.

Trainees must:

• Meet with their AES to discuss the educational needs and to formulate a learning agreement within the first two weeks of their appointment.

• Complete and validate one WBA per week (at least 40 per year), spaced throughout the year. It is not acceptable to complete them all at the last minute. Try to use SHARP protocol.

• Attend 70% of all pan Scotland teaching days.

• Arrange an interim meeting with your AES around the midway point of the year or post whichever is sooner, to discuss progress and achievements with their learning agreements.

• Arrange a final meeting with the AES to sign off on the learning agreement. The ARCP meetings are in June of each year and held centrally in Perth. The sign of meeting therefore needs to be in May. This will need to be on a different timescale for those trainees who are with us for less than one year.

Participation in publication and audit is strongly encouraged.

Your AES will keep a record of your training. It is the responsibility of the trainee to complete and have validated the WBA’s, to arrange a monthly feedback meeting with the clinical supervisor and have this recorded and signed.

All trainees will be discussed at each consultant meeting, problems or concerns identified and fed back to the trainee by their AES or deputy. The outcomes of the meetings will also be recorded.

Library

The library is located on the 1st floor and is open from 8am to 8pm. It is very well equipped with educational resources and computers. There are also plastic surgery textbooks and selected readings.

Other resources

There is a collection of useful journals and textbooks in the Plastic Surgery meeting room in the department offices. All published journals are available to NHS employees via the “Athens” system. For security some of the more expensive books and DVDs are kept under lock and key by the consultants but are available to anyone who wishes to read them. Please do not remove those books from their room.

Grievances

We trust that you will enjoy your time within the plastic surgery department and we like to think that we promote a friendly work environment. However should you feel the victim of a grievance for any reason; please highlight this to the appropriate individual.

We would suggest in the first instance that the best person to highlight the issue to would be your Assigned Educational Supervisor (AES). If you feel that you cannot discuss this with your AES (e.g. they are on leave/unavailable), please feel free to discuss with any of the other consultants within the department who will be happy to assist. If this is not possible then in suggested order of escalation, you can contact your foundation year supervisor (FY trainees), your overall Core / Specialty Training Supervisor (CT/STs), the hospital medical director or the deanery (Philip Cachia (PG Dean) / Rod Mountain (APG Dean)).

NHS Lothian also has a formal grievance procedure and protocol which can be found at the following link on the intranet http://hronline.lothian.scot.nhs.uk/hrpolicy/grievance/Pages/Grievance.aspx