MOPS Report

Abstract

MOPS SURVEY

The paper and survey you will have all received by now sets out three different models of continuing professional development (CPD) and asks for your feedback on these models and for your ideas about how the College MOPS Program should be modified to best meet your needs for professional development.

This is your opportunity to tell the College what you want in the MOPS Program – please take it. If you haven- already faxed your response do so as soon as you can – we are analysing the responses now and hope to have a report ready before Congress and the AGM in May.

CHANGES TO MOPS FOR 2003

There have been three major changes to MOPS activities for 2003 and those of you enrolled in the Program have been sent new sections for insertion to your Manual.

Practice Related Activities – in response to the feedback received from a large number of psychiatrists who spend regular time reading journal, we have reinstated the points for practice related activities. This means those hours spent reading journals, surfing the Internet for information, watching videos or listening to tapes. You can claim 0.5 points per hour for this.

Peer Review Groups – again in response to the concerns expressed about the restrictive nature of the peer review requirements more flexible procedures have been introduced. The change is that no longer do you need to meet specific attendance and presentation requirements, rather you need to determine, as a group, what you expect from members and then meet those requirements. Groups should have clear goals, present their work in a de-identified way, be clear about the criteria by which they evaluate their work and follow-up on any recommendations. Groups should meet as frequently as members find convenient but usually not less than once a month, and generally for at least one hour.

Structured Improvement Projects – as there have been increased numbers of projects submitted over the past two years it has become evident that the workload on the branch MOPS Committees was becoming too great. To relieve this burden on people who volunteer their time we have decided that participants should determine their own points based on the hours of work involved in the project.

Please take the time to read the new guidelines so that you understand the changes. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact the MOPS Office and we will do our best to answer them for you.

STATUTORY IMMUNITY FOR QA ACTIVITIES

I need to let you know that our application to renew statutory immunity protection for QA activities within the MOPS Program under the Commonwealth Legislation, has been rejected. This means that at the moment, information generated within peer review groups and practice visits is not protected by statutory immunity and therefore is able to be sought in legal matters.

Statutory immunity, or qualified privilege as it is now called, was applied for and received in 1996. Since then there has been a review of the legislation which has resulted in the legislation being amended and the activities covered being reconsidered. The legislation and the cover were provided to the MOPS Program QA activities and there is now concern that to provide cover to the Program may compromise the legislation if some of the activities do not meet the legislative criteria. We have been asked to resubmit applications for the activities separately which we are now doing.

The activities remain confidential activities however, and governed

by the rules of confidentiality, but it is important that this extra protection is provided for the information generated by the activity, to allow for the full and frank discussions that can take place in activities such as peer review groups and in practice visits. I will keep you informed of the progress of our application which should be reviewed in the new year.

Each state and territory has their own legislation to protect QA activities. This protection is usually applied for by and given to committees or groups and therefore needs to be applied for by each peer review group. I will gather the relevant information from the states regarding their legislation and get this out to you as soon as I can.

I understand that the legislation in Victoria is being amended following a recent case there. If anyone has any further information they would like to share on this matter perhaps they could write to me or to their newsletter so we can all be better informed regarding this protection.

Sadie Robertson

MOPS Office contact information.

Mail: PO Box 280 Rozelle NSW 2039; Ph: +61 2 9818 1608;

Fax: +61 2 9810 5073; Email: ranzcpmops@compuserve.com

Hail Fellows

Congratulations and welcome are extended to each of the following new Fellows of the College who were elected by General Council on 11 December and 26 October 2002:

Dr Jane Birss (NZ)

Dr Peter Hui Meng Goh (VIC)

Dr Androniki Basilaki (NSW)

Prof Diego De Leo (QLD)

Dr John Koutsogiannis (VIC)

Dr Manoj Chemmale Kumar (VIC)

Dr Veronica Lewinski (TAS)

Dr Jayasheerie Nadarajah (WA)

Dr James Nahamkes (VIC)

Dr Diana Elisabeth Tracy (ACT)

Affiliates

A very warm welcome is also extended to each of the following psychiatrists who were elected as Affiliates of the College in New Zealand by General Council on 26 October 2002:

Dr Rui Mendel (Auckland)

Dr Sanu Pal (Auckland)

Dr Zarko Kamenica (Masterton)

Dr James Greenblatt

Dr Gail Riccatelli (New Plymouth)

Certificate of Advanced Training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Congratulations are extended to the following candidates who, having satisfied the requirements of the Committee for Advanced Training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, were awarded the Certificate of Advanced Training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry by General Council on 26 October 2002:

Dr Malgorzata Eva Wojnarowska (WA)

Dr Mary Ellen Jessop (QLD)

Dr Raphael Tsi Wai Chan (NSW)

Dr Robert Seizer (VIC)

Dr Lana Lubimoff (NSW)

Dr Choong-Siew Yong (NSW)

Dr Margaret Mitchell-Lowe (NZ)

Dr Margaret Constance Doherty (WA)

Certificate of Advanced Training in Psychiatry of Old Age

Congratulations are extended to the following candidates who, having satisfied the requirements of the Committee for Advanced Training in Psychiatry of Old Age, were awarded the Certificate of Advanced Training in Psychiatry of Old Age by General Council on 26 October 2002:

Dr Paul Francis O'Hara (WA)

Dr Fiona Janet Cairns (VIC)

Dr Wendy Elizabeth Goyer (NSW)

Dr Joanna Bakas (NSW)