Objectives for our international strategy

MRCPsych exam

• We will continue to run the MRCPsych exam centres in Ireland, Oman, Singapore, Malta, Hong Kong and India. (Sustainably-funded)
• We will explore the possibility of delivering the Clinical Assessment of Skills and Competencies (CASC), at an exam centre in India, as well as Paper A and Paper B. (Sustainably-funded)
• We will explore the possibility of delivering the CASC at an exam centre, in a country accessible to Middle Eastern and African trainee psychiatrists. (Sustainably-funded).

RCPsych International Certificate

• We will explore opportunities to develop tiered qualifications for mental health workers, including an RCPsych International Certificate for mental health professionals, including psychiatric nurses, with an emphasis on India, China and sub-Saharan African and Middle East and North African countries. (Sustainably-funded).

Train the Trainer

• We will use internationally recognised quality materials – for example the World Health Organisation Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) curriculum – locally to train those delivering mental health care on the ground, who – in turn – will be able to train their teams, with an emphasis on China, the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, China and India. (Sustainably-funded or base line funded as appropriate). Training courses
• We will deliver, overseas, local skillsbased training – such as in research skills or Dementia Care – tailored to the needs of the local health workforce and utilising the expertise of our Faculties, with an emphasis on China, the Middle East and North Africa, India and Sub-Saharan Africa (Sustainably-funded)
• We will deliver training courses to support international trainees, including those who are working towards taking the MRCPsych, in all countries where our exam is delivered; India, Oman, Malta, Hong Kong and Singapore (Sustainably-funded).

Events

• We will develop a series of overseas conferences and events for psychiatrists and other members of the mental health team – particularly in India, the Middle East and North Africa, the Far East and Sub-Saharan Africa – to meet the needs of local mental health services (Sustainably funded)

MTI Scheme

• We will develop the RCPsych Medical Training Initiative (MTI) to support international trainees to further their medical education in the UK whilst also supporting UK NHS services. The scheme will facilitate learning within UK services from ideas generated in other nations and will engage with international psychiatrists and develop a network of ambassadors (Sustainably funded)

International Medical Students

• We will consider establishing a membership grade for international medical students to encourage recruitment into psychiatry and to increase knowledge of the specialty for all medical students.

Quality Networks

• We will proactively promote our quality networks that set standards and review services using self and peer-review to help drive up standards and quality in mental health services around the world (Sustainably funded). 

Clinical Guidelines and Pathways

• We will proactively promote the uptake of evidence-based mental health clinical guidelines and mental health care pathways around the world (Sustainably-funded).

Volunteering

• We will expand our volunteer scheme, in close collaboration with our Volunteering and International Psychiatry Special Interest Group (VIPSIG), with a target of linking 100 members, a year, who want to donate their time to services in low-and-middle income countries, that need specialist training with a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, India, Myanmar (and other territories as appropriate) (base line funded).

Books and Journals

• We will explore the possibility of translating RCPsych books and journals for territories where medical education is not delivered in English, with a particular focus on China (Sustainably funded).

Advocacy

• We will continue to support the advocacy of parity of esteem worldwide, through our membership of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA); the European Psychiatric Association/National Psychiatric Associations Committee (EPA); and the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) – Psychiatry section and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry section (base line funded).

Mental Health Information

• We will continue to give guidance to patients on various conditions via our mental health information materials, which are promoted via our website (base line funded).

International Divisions

• We will continue to support our International Divisions to engage with psychiatrists locally (Sustainably-funded).
• We will improve the joining process, so that new members can join the College through a single, continuous online journey (Sustainably funded).

• We will closely track the roll out of our expanded international strategy, to ensure that the income generated by the sustainably funded workstreams generate enough income to fund an expanded volunteer scheme. Reports on how effectively we are using our resources will be shared and discussed at the RCPsych International Advisory Committee and at the Trustee Board at appropriate intervals.