HCSA News 61 - August 2011

HCSA News August 2011 Issue 61

Annette joins the team Your Subs: Well Held!

The Saga of Mr Iftikhar Pensions: We’re asking you.

news | views | people | contacts

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HCSA News This Issue Time to tell the others!

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People Annette for Central Region The Saga of Mr Iftikhar

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HCSA News Well Held 6 Clinical Excellence Awards 6 Committee Executive Appointments 6 View Your Pension - Your views, please 6 Meet the Team 7 Contact HCSA Contact Details 8

Contact

Editorial: Michael Barratt Stephen Campion Steve George Design - David Woods

Tel: 01256 771777 e-mail: hcsanews@hcsa.com www.hcsa.com Cover: Annette Mansell-Green Photo - Steve George Published By: I.O Design Ltd www.iodesign.co.uk on behalf of the HCSA Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Editor, Publisher, Sponsors or Advertisers of HCSA News. Where Links take you to other sites, the Editor, Publisher and Webmaster cannot be held responsible for the content of those sites. HCSA Logo, HCSA News and related devices are protected by registered copyright. Š2011 All Rights Reserved. Hospital Consultants & Specialists Association No reproduction of any material is permitted without express permission of the respective owners.

TIME TO TELL THE OTHERS! For the last ten years, the HCSA has enjoyed an unbroken increase in membership numbers, year on year. The more members we have, the greater our strength in making your voice heard in the corridors of government.

Now is the time for that extra push to break our own records! Doubly so – because we are in the middle of crucial representations in Westminster and at the same time are able uniquely to offer both current and joining members a subscription rate unchanged for another year, in contrast to our Health Service competitors (See page 5).

The advisory service, too, is unstinting in the support it gives our members.

(See The Saga of Mr Intikhar, page 4-5) So take this special opportunity to tell your friends about us and persuade them to join. They can do so by downloading the application form on our website www.hcsa.com

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HCSA News Issue No.61 - August 2011

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Annette for Central Region As part of the HCSA’s continuing growth and determination to provide a first

class service, we have appointed Annette Mansell-Green as Regional Officer covering the central region and working with Joe Chattin to offer comprehensive support to the membership. Annette began her work with us on 1 August.

In welcoming Annette to the staff of the HCSA, Stephen Campion, Chief Executive, said “for some time we have wanted to increase the presence of full-time staff in and around the Midlands area. In Annette I am confident that her experience, qualifications and expertise will do a great deal to enhance the HCSA service and promote the work of the Association.

She impressed at interview; I am sure she will impress those who call upon her to represent their interests.”

Annette writes:

I am extremely pleased to be joining the team here at the HCSA as Regional Officer. I come with a background in public service, having been an elected official in UNISON for some 18 years. For 14 years I represented the West Midlands Region on the National Executive Council of UNISON during which time I chaired various national committees and was the union representative on the TUC Women’s Committee and Chair of the TUC General Purposes Committee.

I ran a branch of over 1500 members at West Midlands Police for many years where I was lead negotiator and caseworker as well as making a mean cup of coffee! My experience with the Association of Chief Police officers should hold me in good stead when it comes to working with senior practitioners in the health service.

Let’s just say that I am used to working with strong characters on both sides of the table.

I am very much looking forward to meeting our members and working with you to promote the HCSA as a lead player in the public service union arena. I am ready to hit the ground running and progress with organising and representing existing members as well as recruiting new members to help our association grow.

I have an unerring commitment to public services and the NHS in particular and am glad to have the opportunity to work with you, striving to ensure that any changes brought about by any Government do not have an adverse effect on patient care or dilute the professionalism of our members.

I do have a life outside of work and spend a lot of my spare time involved in music making.

My first career was as a freelance violinist after studying at instrumental teaching and performance at Birmingham Conservatoire.

However, my life took another turn when I worked with the Police service. However I now play whenever I can and am a member of the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra.

Watch out if you are in my area as I will be selling tickets to concerts!

I enjoy spending time cooking and relaxing with my husband Karl and my two lovely stepdaughters. However the dinner conversation is frequently about politics and union work as Karl is a Regional Officer for UNISON! I am looking forward to regaling him with success stories from the HCSA in the very near future.

Finally, if you happen to see me around your trust or at an event please come over and say hello and let me know if there is anything that I can assist with.”

HCSA News Issue No.61 - August 2011

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CASE Y STUD

The Saga of Mr Iftikhar The HCSA is sometimes criticised for not giving sufficient publicity to cases where the Association has supported members and come through with positive results.

More often than not this is not through false modesty but because the protection of members’ confidentiality takes higher priority.

But two years after these lists had been undertaken, and certified correct for payment by the managers at the time, a new management team concluded that these payments should not have been made as they constituted “double payments”. Not only were disciplinary proceedings taken against him, but the NHS Counter Fraud Office undertook its own investigations.

However one case has been concluded which the HCSA member scored a spectacular success – and not surprisingly wants to share it. As we were fully involved in working with him throughout one of the most appalling acts of mismanagement we are delighted to publish his story.

In the event the Crown Prosecution Service did not pursue the matter. However the disciplinary hearing and subsequent appeal both concluded that Mr Iftikhar had inappropriately claimed for waiting list payments to the sum of around £33k and placed a final warning on file with a demand for repayment of this sum. The Trust just wanted the money back and Mr Iftikhar punished in some way through the disciplinary procedure.

Told by Chief Executive Stephen Campion The circumstances are quite simple.

Mr Muhammad Iftikhar, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust in Dorchester, was asked to undertake waiting list initiatives at the NHS Hospital. Targets were not being met and the NHS costs were substantially less than had they been performed at the nearby private hospital.

Mr Iftikhar, as indeed did many other surgeons around the country, agreed to help the Trust meet its performance targets in consideration of a fee agreed with the Local Negotiating Committee.

Solicitors acting on behalf of Mr Iftikhar were instructed and advised the Trust that the claim of repayment would be resisted but that these funds would be held by them pending resolution at the County Court. The Trust failed to respond to this offer but over one year later during the course of the proceedings threatened Mr Iftikhar with further disciplinary proceedings if he failed to return the money.

Yet more meetings were held with the Trust with the HCSA representing Mr Iftikhar, who was left in no doubt that failure to repay the money, notwithstanding the fact that the matter was to be determined by the County Court, would result in summary dismissal.

So, under protest, the money was repaid and matters proceeded to the County Court.

What happened next? You guessed it.

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The judge not only found that Mr Iftikhar was fully entitled to receive the waiting list payments, but also made trenchant criticism of the Trust and in particular its blatant harassment of Mr Iftikhar by pre-empting the judgement of the court. The judge described Mr Iftikhar as a well regarded professional who is honest and reliable.

And finally: most of those managers, Chief Executive and Trust Chairman who were involved in all this are no longer with the Trust and have since moved on. Whilst Mr Iftikhar is delighted with the support he received from the HCSA, we too are impressed with his determination and principled stand against such appalling management.

The Trust was ordered to pay the money back to Mr Iftikhar and the tax payer had to pay legal costs (of both sides).

Well done; he deserves his victory.

NEWS Well held!

They did so recognising that in these recessionary times HCSA members as well as HCSA staff are currently subject to a pay freeze. It was agreed to lead by example.

Despite rising costs, national inflation and increasing staff commitments for members, the HCSA Finance and Executive Committees have decided that there will be no increase in annual membership fees!

Accordingly we are pleased to announce that the membership fee is frozen until at least October 2012. At just £200 a year this does represent excellent value for money in these difficult times, and is less than half the subscription charged by our nearest competitor.

Clinical Excellence Awards

active involvement and support to the work of the Association.

At the time of going to press the Doctors and Dentists Review Body has submitted its Review of Clinical Excellence Awards to the Government. The Government has yet to state its response – although all sorts of rumours abound!

Executive Committee appointments

We are therefore working on the principle that the process will continue this year. As a nationally recognised specialist nominating body the HCSA will again consider applications from members wishing to apply for national Clinical Excellence Awards.

Our plea in the last edition of HCSA News for “new blood” to support the Association resulted in the welcome appointments of Dr Cindy Horst (Consultant anaesthetist in Leicester), Dr Gervase Dawidek (Consultant ophthalmologist in Romford) and Dr Bernhard Heidemann (Consultant anaesthetist in Edinburgh) to the Executive Committee.

Members are strongly advised to read the guidance provided by ACCEA http://www. dh.gov.uk/ab/ACCEA/Awardsround/index.htm before submitting applications electronically to the HCSA at conspec@hcsa.com to be received by midnight on 30 October 2011.

In addition Professor Amr Mohsen (Consultant orthopaedic surgeon in Hull) was elected Chairman of the Education and Standards Committee and therefore takes a seat on the Executive.

As in previous years significant weight will be attached to those applications that demonstrate

An updated list of committee members and contact details is shown on the back page.

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Pensions: Your views, please

You will no doubt

have seen and read much about public service pensions in the last few weeks with strike action taken at the end of June by three teaching unions and a Civil Service Union concerning the proposed changes to pensions. The central talks between the Government, TUC and TUC public sector unions have continued beyond the original intended deadline of the end of June and will continue after the summer recess. It is also proposed to run a second series of discussions in parallel on the scheme’s specific proposals.

This will involve working out initial proposals in headline terms, with the details to be finalised by the end of October.

There are four key issues where agreement has not been reached: • The change of indexation of pensions from RPI to CPI: This is subject to legal challenge which will be heard in September or October • Ending of the final salary scheme and replacement with the career average arrangements • Retirement age linked to the state pension age, which is due to increase to 66 in 2020 • Contribution rates to be increased substantially. The Government recently announced that there would be no increase in contributions for those earning under £15,000 per annum and no more than a

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1.5% increase for those earning up to £21,000 per annum. For highest earners (and therefore HCSA members) the total increase will be capped at 6% In view of the potential impact on our members and recognising the considerable amount of debate and anger this has generated among our members and the profession we have decided to carry out a referendum survey of HCSA members.

The HCSA President will shortly be writing to all members seeking views on the pension proposals. The survey will ask for your comments and give you the opportunity to state your opinions on this issue. It will also ask members to indicate whether you would want to support some form of industrial action in pursuance of a dispute if the proposals to change the pension arrangements remain unacceptable to you.

Please participate in this survey and feed back your comments to us on this important issue.

The government is also inviting comments from NHS staff through www.nhspensioncontributions@dh.gsi.gov.uk We anticipate robust contributions!

HCSA News Issue No.61 - August 2011

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Meet the team

Left to right - Ian Smith, Gail Savage, Joe Chattin, Sharon White, Stephen Campion, Brenda Loosley, Steve George Front - Annette Mansell-Green

Over the past decade HCSA has grown in size in terms of membership and staff. This dedicated team looks after thousands of members across the UK and provides an exceptional personal service in terms of representing its membership.

HCSA News

HCSA News Team Editor - Michael Barratt (left) Stephen Campion Steve George Design - David Woods (right)

Rarely does the team get the chance to be at our Head Office at Overton for a group photo.

So here are the faces to the names you regularly see in HCSA News and on our website www.hcsa.com HCSA OFFICERS AND STAFF Chief Executive Mr. Stephen Campion Head of Business Services Mr. Steve George Manager, Northern Region Mr. Joe Chattin Business Manager Mrs. Sharon White Manager, Advisory Service Mr. Ian Smith Membership Secretary Mrs. Brenda Loosley Midland Regional Officer Mrs. Annette Mansell- Green Employment Services Adviser Mrs. Gail Savage Office Telephone: 01256 771777 Facsimile: 01256 770999 E-mail: conspec@hcsa.com

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President Chairman of Executive Immediate Past President Honorary Treasurer Honorary Secretary Honorary Secretary Honorary Secretary Honorary Secretary Honorary Secretary Honorary Secretary Chairman – Ed & Stan S-C Independent Healthcare

Dr. Umesh Udeshi Dr. John Schofield Mr. Christopher Welch Dr. Mukhlis Madlom Dr. Sati Ariyanayagam Mr. Gervase Dawidek Dr. Tom Goodfellow Dr. Bernhard Heidemann Dr. Cindy Horst Dr. Ross Welch Prof. Amr Mohsen Mr. Christopher Khoo

MEMBERS EDUCATION & STANDARDS SUB-COMMITTEE Chairman - Prof. Amr Mohsen Dr. Umesh Udeshi Mr. George Fowlis Dr. Mukhlis Madlom Dr. Bernhard Heidemann Dr. Hiten Mehta Dr. Bernard Chang Mr. Olanrewaju Sorinola Mr. Christopher Welch North East Strategic Health Authority Mr. Rotimi Jaiyesimi, FRCOG LL.M (Medical Law) r.a.k.jaiyesimi@ncl.ac.uk Dr. Olamide Olukoga, FFARCSI OOlukoga@aol.com Dr. Paul Cooper, MBBS FRCA pdcooper@blueyonder.co.uk North West Strategic Health Authority Dr. Magdy Aglan, FFARCSI FRCA magdyaglan@doctors.org.uk Mr. Ian Harvey, FRCS ian.theop@btinternet.com Mr. Ahmed Sadiq, MRCOphth FRCS a.sadiq@manchester.ac.uk Professor Nigel Thomas, FRCR nigel.thomas@trafford.nhs.uk Yorkshire and The Humber Strategic Health Authority Dr. Mukhlis Madlom, FRCPCH FRCP mukhlis.madlom@dbh.nhs.uk Professor Amr Mohsen, FRCS(T&O) PhD amrmohsen@doctors.org.uk Mr. Peter Moore, MD FRCS enid.bridge@nhs.net East Midlands Strategic Health Authority

FINANCE SUB-COMMITTEE Dr. Mukhlis Madlom – Chairman Dr. Umesh Udeshi Dr. John Schofield Dr. Robin Loveday [Trustee] Mr. Robert Tranter [Trustee] Mr. Michael Kelly [Trustee] HCSA OFFICERS AND STAFF Chief Executive Mr. Stephen Campion Head of Business Services Mr. Steve George Manager, Northern Region Mr. Joe Chattin Business Manager Mrs. Sharon White Manager, Advisory Service Mr. Ian Smith Membership Secretary Mrs. Brenda Loosley Midland Regional Officer Mrs. Annette Mansell- Green Employment Services Adviser Mrs. Gail Savage Office Telephone: 01256 771777 Facsimile: 01256 770999 E-mail: conspec@hcsa.com

Mr. Olanrewaju Sorinola, FRCOG sorinola@sky.com Dr. Umesh Udeshi, FRCR umesh.udeshi@worcsacute.nhs.uk

South West Strategic Health Authority East of England Strategic Health Authority Dr. Sati Ariyanayagam, FRCOG Sati2411@gmail.com Mr. Christopher Goodfellow, FRCOG info@goodfellowgynaecology.co.uk Mr. Andrew Murray, FRCS andrewmurray@qehkl.nhs.uk Mr. Hugo Taylor, FRCS(Eng)FRCS(Gen) Jackie.Jordan@btuh.nhs.uk London Strategic Health Authority Mr. Gervase Dawidek, FRCS FRCOphth dawidekfamily@aol.com Mr. George Fowlis, FRCS FEBU gafowlis@btinternet.com.

Dr. Patrick McGowan, FRCA mcgowan@nhs.net Professor Peter Dawson, FRCP FRCR phda728222@aol.com

Mr. David Hocken, FRCS David.Hocken@gwh.nhs.uk Dr. Claudia Paoloni, FRCA drclaudiap@aol.com Professor Michael Wee, FRCA m.wee@virgin.net Mr. Ross Welch, FRCOG ross.welch@phut.swest.nhs.uk Wales Mr. Simon Hodder, FDS FRCS simon.hodder@swansea-tr.wales.nhs.uk Scotland Dr. Bernhard Heidemann, FRCA b.heidemann@ed.ac.uk Mr. Sean Laverick, FDS FRCS sean.laverick@nhs.net Northern Ireland

South East Coast Strategic Health Authority

Dr. Cindy Horst, MB ChB DA FRCA cindy.horst@uhl-tr.nhs.uk Dr. Gorajala Vijayasimhulu, FRCR g.vijay@btinternet.com Dr. John Ward, FRCA John.Ward@nuh.nhs.uk

Dr. Paul Donaldson, FRCPath donaldson@winning-blue.co.uk Dr. Jones Kurian, MRCP joneskurian@yahoo.co.uk Dr. John Schofield, FRCPath John.Schofield@nhs.net Dr. Paul Brennan-Benson MSc MBBS PhD MRCP paul.brennan-benson@nhs.net

West Midlands Strategic Health Authority

South Central Strategic Health Authority

Mr. Ian Dukes, FRCS FFAEM ikdukes@doctors.org.uk Dr. Tom Goodfellow, FRCS FRCR tom.goodfellow@uhcw.nhs.uk

Mr. Callum Clark, FRCS(Tr&Orth) callumclark@mac.com Dr. Catriona Henderson, MRCP catriona.henderson@suht.swest.nhs.uk

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Mr. Christopher Khoo, FRCS ctkkhoo@bakersbarn.net

HCSA News Issue No.61 - August 2011

Dr. William Loan, FRCS FRCR Willie.Loan@bch.n-i.nhs.uk Specialist Registrar National Representative Dr. Imran Rahman, MBBS imran1973@tiscali.co.uk Non-Consultant Career Grade National Representative Dr. Helmy Fakhry, MB ChB helmy_fakhry@hotmail.com