RCPsych eNewsletter

RCPsych Publishing updates

Read the latest RCPsych Publishing Highlights newsletter.

The Psychiatrists' Support Service (PSS) provides free, rapid, high quality peer support by telephone to psychiatrists of all grades who may be experiencing personal or work-related difficulties.

Our service is totally confidential and delivered by trained Peer Support Psychiatrists (PSPs). Our PSPs are from diverse backgrounds and have received training in many different areas, to improve their understanding and ability to support all those who call the PSS.

As a service, we are aware that the difficulties faced by doctors vary enormously. We will support you through whatever they may be, including burnout, workplace bullying and discrimination, serious incidents, as well as coping with stress and change. Our support service manager and our PSPs will talk with you in confidence, without stigma or prejudice.

The service can be contacted by phone on 020 8618 4020 or by email at pss@rcpsych.ac.uk.

What did you think of the latest edition of RCPsych Insight? Email us your thoughts to magazine@rcpsych.ac.uk, or tweet us using the hashtag #RCPsychInsight.

In March, the RCPsych will launch a new portal that employing bodies in England and Wales will use to submit consultant and non-consultant job descriptions to us for approval. The portal will ensure that all the necessary information about the job description is captured and will mean that employers will receive immediate notification that their JD has been received.

Earlier this year we rolled out a new checklist for JDs as well as a kitemark for all RCPsych approved JDs. The use of the checklist alongside our exemplars, has resulted in many more job descriptions being approved at version 1 or 2, saving time for both employers and the psychiatrists who undertake the review of JDs.

All JDs submitted to the RCPsych are approved by our members. RCPsych Regional Specialty Representatives and Regional Advisors volunteer their time to undertake these checks, alongside the other responsibilities of these roles, and we are immensely grateful and the time and expertise they offer to the College. If you are interested in applying to become and RSR or an RA you can read about the roles on the opportunities for members page.

The College is seeking to recruit several Deputy Chairs for our MRCPsych written paper panels.

The post is voluntary, and appointees’ duties and requirements include a minimum of 50% attendance, remote contribution to the panel, and support to the Chair. Expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with the College’s policy.

For more details, please view our posts for members page.

If you have any questions, please email examinations@rcpsych.ac.uk.

The Rehabilitation and Social faculty is offering two bursaries – one to a Foundation year one trainee and one to a psychiatrist from a low or middle-income country – to attend the Faculty's annual conference, normally held in November each year. In 2022 the conference will be held either online or at a UK venue.

Find out more about the bursaries

Closing date: The deadline for 2022 applications is midnight on 28 March.

The Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has established an essay prize in the name of Professor Richard Charles Harrington to encourage interest in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry among trainees and specialty doctors.

The 2022 prize is now open and the title this year is: The role of social psychiatry within present-day child and adolescent mental health.

Find out more about the prize

Closing date: midnight on 10 June 2022

Applications for the Fellowship are now open for 2022. The closing date is midnight on 23 September.

Find out more and apply for the Fellowship

About the fellowship

This travelling fellowship is awarded biennially from funds bequeathed by Dr John Hamilton, past Honorary Secretary of the then Forensic Section, and College Fellow.

It is intended to encourage psychiatrists working in the field of forensic psychiatry to broaden their knowledge and experience through travel to recognised forensic centres.

Proposals to visit developing forensic services in order to support, advise and teach will also be considered.

Visits are expected to last about two to four weeks and would normally be to centre(s) overseas.

The NHS Wales Perinatal Mental Health Network has been working closely with the College to produce additional guidance on the use of the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) in Perinatal Mental Health services.

Whilst the HoNOS are easy to use in mainstream mental health services, some specialised services find it helpful to have additional guidance that provide more specific glossary descriptions to guide the clinician.

View the additional guidance

The Child and Family Public Engagement Editorial Board (CAFPEB) is recruiting a Lead Editor, who will lead on the strategic output of the College’s mental health information for children, young people and involved adults. The Lead Editor will work with the rest of the Board to produce accessible, engaging information for young people and those who care for them, and ensure that the voices and experiences of service users are represented in the information produced by the College.

The College has over 100 mental health information resources, and an additional 50 resources for young people and those who care for them.

Applications for this role close on 11 March 2022.

Find out more about this exciting role and how to apply

The Committee on Electroconvulsive Therapy and Related Treatments is recruiting a new committee chair and two committee members.  We welcome applications from members who are working in or have an interest in ECT practice or research, or practice or research relevant to related physical treatments.

• Find out more and apply to be committee chair
• Find out more and apply to be a committee member

Closing date: 10 April 2022

In 2021 we launched our new online learning platform, the eLearning Hub. CPD Online launched first, rebranded as CPD eLearning, and Trainees Online (TrOn) will be live on the Hub imminently. TrOn supports trainee psychiatrists preparing for MRCPsych paper A and is free to access for anyone registered with RCPsych as a trainee, member, affiliate, Student Associate or Foundation Doctor Associate – just log in with your College details.

Most of our institutional subscribers are now migrated onto the Hub for CPD eLearning; if you haven’t moved yet, please look out for information from your Trust Administrator in the coming weeks.

We are delighted to announce that the following prizes and bursaries are now open to entrants.

Further information, regulations and entry forms can be accessed via our prizes and bursaries page.

Divisional Poster Prize

Trainees, SAS and specialty doctors working in the South West are invited to submit a poster and abstract on any aspect of psychiatry, including Quality Improvement projects. The poster will be displayed at the Spring Biannual Meeting and the abstract published in the Programme and Abstracts Booklet, with prizes of £150 for the winner and the poster showing the greatest innovation.

Deadline for submission: 11 April 2022 at 9.00 am

Dr Stephen Dinniss Foundation and Medical Students Poster Prize

Foundation year doctors and medical students are invited to submit a poster and abstract on any aspect of psychiatry. The poster will be displayed at the Spring Biannual Meeting and the abstract published in the Programme and Abstracts Booklet, with a prize of £150 for the winner.

Deadline for submission: 11 April 2022 at 9.00 am

Spring Biannual Meeting Bursary

We are offering up to 10 bursaries for South West medical students and foundation year doctors to present a poster at the Southwest Spring Biannual Meeting in May 2022. All entrants (up to two per submission) will be guests of the Executive Committee and must register for the meeting but will not be charged a conference fee. Bursaries for medical students also include travel expenses.

In line with College priorities and values, we have launched a new online training course in collaboration with our Quality Improvement Committee – "The crucial role of coproduction in Quality Improvement in psychiatric services: for psychiatrists and postgraduate trainees", taking place on Wednesday 27 April.

Practicing what we preach, this workshop has been co-produced and will be facilitated by experienced QI practitioners with patient and carer lived experience alongside representatives from the fields of psychiatry and pharmacology. As well as presenting evidence of successful co-production, there will be opportunities to explore and challenge existing assumptions.

Find out more about the event

The Medical Student Psychotherapy Schemes Working Group (MSPSWG) are pleased to announce their upcoming Symposium, taking place on 25 March. This will be an online event.

The event will focus on the following areas:

• the importance of reflective practice for clinicians to support well-being and good medical practice
• the rationale for student Balint groups starting early in clinical training
• how to establish Balint groups and discussion of the challenges
• student perspectives and experiences of Balint groups.

There will be several speakers presenting on these topics and ample opportunity for discussion and reflection.

Find out more and book your place

The recording will be available online to registered delegates for two months after the live event.