Faculty Programme Liaison (FPL)
The responsibility for the Quality Assurance of postgraduate medical education and training and posts resides with the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB).
Among other mechanisms PMETB has a schedule of visits which are Deanery wide and a group of specialties are inspected on each visit on a five-year cycle. The first round of visits to all Deaneries occurred in 2006-2007 and the next cycle of visits will therefore take place during 2008-2010. For further information regarding PMETB visits, please click here.
The primary purpose of PMETB visits to deaneries is to investigate and assess programmes against defined standards and requirements of the quality management processes, in order to ensure the effective delivery of postgraduate medical education and training.
Faculty Programme Liaison Process
The Faculty Programme Liaison (FPL) process has been developed and adopted by FPH in collaboration with the Public Health Training Programme Directors (TPD) committee, with the aim of:
- Assisting FPH to produce an effective Annual Specialty Report (ASR).
- Assisting training programmes to deliver high quality training.
- Providing external, experienced and specialty-based advice to deaneries when required.
Approximately 5 months before the public health Annual Specialty Report is due, the FPH Education and Training Department circulates to all TPDs/Heads of School (HoS) the following documents:
- FPH TPD/HoS self assessment proforma.
- The 'External' TPD Questionnaire.
- The Trainee Members Group Report.
The TPD/HoS self assessment proforma is to be completed by the regional TPDs and to be returned to the FPH Education and Training Department. The FPH Trainee Report Form is to be completed by the regional trainee group/committee and should be submitted to the TPDs to be used as part of their self assessment process.
The purpose of the External System is to support TPDs in delivering high quality training and to help FPH gather feedback and comments about Deaneries and for their Annual Specialty Report (ASR). It is also to help to ensure that there is an external component of Quality Management by deaneries.
The 'Home' TPD is to provide the allocated 'External' TPD with the complete TPD/HoS self assessment proforma and the Trainee Members Group Report once completed. The two TPDs concerned will arrange a telephone call or face-to-face meeting to discuss the 'Home' TPDs self assessment questionnaire. After the discussion the 'External' TPD is required to complete the 'External' TPD Questionnaire and provide FPH with suggestions, remarks and relevant issues that have arisen from the documentation and from the discussion with the TPD. TPDs are also required to indicate and report on any actions which are planned by the 'Home' TPD over the subsequent 12 months.
A checklist (discussion guidance) will be circulated to TPDs with the purpose of facilitating the exchange of information between 'Home' and 'External' TPDs. The forms filled by TPDs and returned to FPH will be regarded as confidential and used to compile FPH's Annual Specialty Report (ASR) to PMETB.
List of documents and arrangements
Please find below the list of documents and arrangements that have been developed to enable FPH to undertake Quality Management (QM) and to provide PMETB with an accurate ASR.
- FPH TPD/HoS self assessment questionnaire.
- FPL 'External' System.
- 'External' TPD Questionnaire.
- FPH Trainee Report Form.
- A discussion framework to facilitate the discussion between TPDs.
Quality Assurance Structure
FPH has evolved the existing Quality Assurance (QA) structure to conform to PMETB's Quality Framework. Please find below an overview of responsibilities of the different organisations.
- PMETB the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) is the independent statutory body that regulates postgraduate medical education and training in the UK. PMETB has responsibility for Quality Assurance (QA).
Quality Assurance (QA): encompasses all the policies, standards, systems and processes directed to ensuring maintenance and enhancement of the quality of postgraduate medical education in the UK. PMETB will undertake planned and systematic activities to provide public and patient confidence that postgraduate medical education satisfies given requirements for quality within the principles of good regulation. - Deanery: is the regional organisation responsible for ensuring the quality of postgraduate medical education in its areas in accordance with PMETB standards. The Deanery has responsibility for the Quality Management (QM).
- Faculty of Public Health (FPH): has responsibility for working with deaneries to undertake Quality Management (QM).
Quality Management (QM): refers to the arrangements by which the postgraduate deanery discharges its responsibility for the standards and quality of postgraduate medical education. It satisfies itself that local education and training providers are meeting the PMETB standards through robust reporting and monitoring mechanisms. - Training programme (together with provider): has responsibility for Quality Control (QC) within the programme.
Quality Control (QC): relates to the arrangements (procedures, organisation) within local education providers (Health Boards, NHS Trusts, independent sectors) that ensure postgraduate trainees receive education and training that meets local, national and professional standards. - Faculty Programme Liaison (FPL): is the FPH mechanism to integrate the different components.
Quality Framework
The following diagrams represent the interactions among the groups involved in the Quality Framework.
Both diagrams have been adapted from the PMETB Quality Framework Autumn 2007.
If you have any suggestions and comments on the FPL process or Quality Assurance structure please email Educ@fph.org.uk
