Everyone involved in the Wessex Professional Support and Wellbeing Service (PSW) will work hard to support doctors in postgraduate training. We are keen to provide the right support, at the right time, to help doctors make the right choices about their training. Wessex PSW employs case managers and Specialist Support Group (SSG) experts by the hour, so it is important that they are viewed as a valuable resource that Wessex is privileged to have access to.
Doctors in postgraduate training should be aware of the following terms of referral to the Wessex Professional Support and Wellbeing Service (PSW):
- Support from the Wessex PSW is voluntarily accepted, but once a trainee has chosen to agree to the process, it is expected that they will engage. Failure to do is considered a professionalism issue, therefore the doctor’s referrer will be notified and this will be flagged up to the Programme Director and ARCP panel. However, no specific details will be shared with trainers or school without the doctor’s permission.
- The email address a doctor supplies will be used for all email correspondence. If the doctor changes their email address they must notify the Wessex PSW immediately.
- Doctors should respond to any emails from the Wessex PSW as soon as possible, ideally within 48 hours.
- Late cancellations should be avoided.
- Doctors should ensure they have the contact details of the person they are scheduled to meet, and should give as much notice and reschedule if difficulties are anticipated. If a doctor has an urgent problem they should contact Wessex PSW, to enable them to assist by contacting the person they are due to meet, on their behalf.
- For expert referrals an initial meeting and assessment should be completed within four weeks.
- Doctors should be released by their employer to attend meetings during working hours, when given at least seven days’ notice.
- Doctors will not be expected to attend meetings on a day when they are on call. If a doctor is Less than full-time (LTFT), we will try to arrange to see you on a normal working day, but that will not always be possible. Please inform the Wessex PSW if your employer is not supporting your release to attend for Wessex PSW support
- Draft reports are often sent for checking. Doctors should review draft reports and reply within 48 hours of receipt. Doctors should help by notifying the Wessex PSW of any lack of availability, to avoid the trainee being chased further until their return.
- Expert reports will be shared with a doctor’s case manager and/or exam support lead. The doctor should be copied into all relevant correspondence.
- Reports are not shared with those directly involved in a doctor’s training without their consent, unless there are serious patient safety concerns or the doctors’s health is felt to be at risk. However, your DME/HoS will be notified of your referral and level of engagement afterwards. The Form C completed with your case manager is shared with your referrer with your consent.
- All reports are stored securely (electronically) and are only accessible by the doctor’s Wessex PSW case manager, Associate Dean for Professional Support and Wessex PSW Support and Development Coordinator.
- In exceptional circumstances, some details may be shared with the Wessex Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) Serious Concerns Group, which comprises of the Postgraduate Dean, Associate Deans, and lead case manager, to ensure adequate support is considered, and applied where necessary.
- Doctors should direct any complaints, disputes or concerns (in writing) to the Wessex Associate Dean for Professional Support.
- The Wessex Associate Dean for Professional Support will consider all complaints, disputes or concerns they receive, and provide a reply (in writing) within five working days.
Contact us
england.PSW.WX@nhs.net
01962 690309