Recognition and Approval of Trainers

The General medical Council has set out its plans to recognise and approve doctors in postgraduate secondary care who have a responsibility for training medical students and trainee doctors. GMC will seek to acquire the legal powers to approve trainers in secondary care, alongside their current powers in the Medical Act (1983) to approve GP trainers. Recognition and approval of doctors in secondary care will help provide assurance to the public that medical training produces doctors with the knowledge, skills and behaviours that ensure safe patient care and good medical practice. The current standards that trainers are expected to meet are set out in Promoting Excellence: standards for medical education and training (2016) The GMC requirements relate to seven areas drawn from the Academy of Medical Educators (AoME) Framework for the Professional Development of Postgraduate Medical Supervisors (2010).  AoME have updated these Standards in 2014. These are:

1. Ensuring safe and effective patient care through training
2. Establishing and maintaining an environment for learning
3. Teaching and facilitating learning
4. Enhancing learning through assessment
5. Supporting and monitoring educational process
6. Guiding personal and professional development
7. Continuing professional development (CPD) as an educator

NIMDTA has mapped these areas to a number of training activities which must be undertaken by all named Clinical Supervisors and Educational Supervisors. Trainers are appointed to these roles by their HSC Trusts. Trusts are responsible for keeping information on the status of their trainers, and sharing this with NIMDTA. Trusts should ensure that trainers have sufficient time in job plans to fulfil their educational roles. They should ensure that trainers have access to opportunities for personal development and are annually appraised in their educational roles. NIMDTA will liaise with the HSC Trusts and once satisfied that an individual trainer has met the necessary requirements, will issue a Certificate of Recognition of trainer status. The duration of recognition will be for 5 years to fit in with revalidation.  NIMDTA will notify GMC of all fully recognised trainers and issue certificates. All Named Clinical and Educational Supervisors must be fully trained, and Recognised by NIMDTA.  NIMDTA is committed to improving the skills and knowledge of trainers in a variety of areas that have been set out by the Academy of Medical Educators (AoME). NIMDTA has mapped these areas to several educational activities:

* These may be specific NIMDTA courses or their approved equivalent.

Further information can be found in the NIMDTA Achieving and Maintaining Policy