Professional Support and Standards Board (Clinical Oncology)
Members
- Dr P Jankowska (Medical Director, Professional Practice, Clinical Oncology)
- Dr D Abdulwahid (SACT Quality and Safety Adviser)
- Dr R Batool (Co-Chair, ORF)
- Dr P Dickinson (Radiotherapy Quality and Safety Adviser)
- Dr K Halliday (President)
- Dr L Hanna (Medical Director for Education and Training (CO))
- Dr T Roques (Vice President, Clinical Oncology)
- Dr M Williams (Chair, QI and Audit Committee)
- Prof M Beresford
- Dr K Franks
- Dr R Shakir
- Dr E Toy
- Ms C White
Terms of reference
Primary responsibilities of the CO PSSB are:
1. Determining priorities for developing resources and work programmes that support quality, safety and professional effectiveness.
2. Approving, monitoring and periodically reviewing products, resources and other outputs from work programmes for which it has responsibility. This includes but is not limited to:
- a. Professional guidance including consensus statements on best practice.
- b. Audit and quality improvement.
- c. Support for Clinical Oncology services, including oversight of the policy on and guidance for invited service reviews and supporting inclusive recruitment to Specialist and Consultant posts (Advisory Appointments Committee and associated processes).
- d. The RCR's Continuing Professional Development scheme and RCR support for appraisal and revalidation.
- e. Awards and Fellowships (where these are determined by the CO PSSB)
- f. Workforce support and retention initiatives, including but not limited to RCR professional networks and mentoring programmes.
3. Reviewing and advising on requests for RCR endorsement from other organisations that are relevant to the work of [clinical oncologists / clinical radiologists].
4. Addressing issues of the quality and safety of radiotherapy and systemic therapy services.
5. Overseeing the work of other groups to which it has delegated responsibility, including the Support and Wellbeing Working Group and any time-limited working groups that it sees fit to establish.
The CO PSSB has wider responsibility for:
6. Working with the CO Academic Committee to support academic development and encourage research-active and academic clinical oncologists within the UK.
7. Working with the RCR Learning Strategic Board to ensure delivery of learning opportunities that link to resources and outputs produced through the CO PSSB.
8. Developing new initiatives for consideration by the CO Faculty Leadership Team and undertaking any other projects or activities at the request of the CO Faculty Leadership Team.
9. Appointing and ensuring regular engagement with Leads and Advisers where a need for specific expertise is identified.
10. Reporting to the CO Faculty Leadership Team at least once per year on its work.
Subsidiary bodies
The CO PSSB should:
11. With agreement of the CO Faculty Leadership Team, establish such committees or working groups as are required within the resources approved by the Trustee Board to enable the work outlined above to be effectively undertaken.
12. Ensure that each such committee has clear terms of reference setting out its role, function and delegated responsibility, approve any changes to those Terms of Reference as required and ensure that role descriptions are in place for membership of those committees.
13. Ensure that each such working group has a clear statement of its scope of responsibility, to ensure effective delivery of the service for which it has been established.
Membership
14. There will be four members elected by means of nomination and election processes that parallel those that apply to the election of members of other RCR boards and committees.
15. Elected members serve for terms of three years and no more.
16. There will be up to four appointed members who will all be Fellows of the Faculty of Clinical Oncology resident in the UK and in active NHS clinical practice at the time of their appointment. These individuals will represent specialist functions and advice, as agreed by the CO PSSB.
17. Appointed members serve for terms of three years and may be appointed for one further term of up to three years where appropriate and by the agreement of the Chair.
18. There may be one lay member.
19. Ex-officio members are:
- a. the President
- b. all Clinical Oncology Officers
- c. the Radiotherapy Quality and Safety Adviser
- d. the Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Quality and Safety Adviser
- e. the Chair of the Oncology Registrars' Forum
- f. the Clinical Oncology Specialist and Specialty doctor Lead.
20. There may be up to two co-opted members.
21. Co-opted members may be co-opted at the CO PSSB's discretion, if the Board considers that particular sections of its membership are under-represented or if particular skills or expertise are sought. If the Board determines that there is no particular under-representation, it shall be under no obligation to make any co-options.
22. Co-opted members will serve for a period of office appropriate to the role for which they have been co-opted, as agreed by the CO PSSB, but this will not exceed three years.
23. All member of the CO PSSB shall cease to hold office if they fail to attend two consecutive meetings of this Board without providing an explanation which the Chair of the CO PSSB considers satisfactory.
Chair
24. The CO PSSB will be chaired by the Medical Director, Professional Practice, Clinical Oncology.
25. The duties of the Chair include:
- a. Chairing all meetings
- b. Ensuring that the purpose and terms of reference are observed
- c. Engaging all members of the CO PSSB in the work being done
- d. Ensuring regular reports are made to the CO Faculty Leadership Team
- e. Ensuring that relevant matters are drawn to the attention of the Vice President CO, the Faculty Leadership Team or Faculty Officers as appropriate
- f. Ensuring that the Faculty of Clinical Radiology is appropriately consulted or involved on matters that affect both specialties and the resultant outcome is co-ordinated and, as far as possible, consistent across the Faculties.
- g. Acting as media spokesperson for the College in respect of matters within the remit of the CO PSSB at the request of the President or the Vice-President, Clinical Oncology.
Operation
26. The CO PSSB will meet not more than three times per year on dates to be agreed unless exceptionally required to transact urgent business.
27. Meetings may be held in person or by remote attendance.
28. CO PSSB members may be called upon to consider or determine matters electronically between meetings and are expected to contribute to such considerations or decisions as part of their duties as Board members.
29. Where proposals or initiatives discussed by the CO PSSB would incur expenditure or future financial commitment by the College which is not within the approved budget, these should be referred for consideration under the out-of-budget expenditure procedure, as agreed from time to time by Trustee Board.
30. CO PSSB members must not speak on behalf of the College unless authorised to do so.
31. CO PSSB members must abide by any stated or implied confidentiality that attaches to the work of the Board during or after any period of membership.
32. CO PSSB members must comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018 as regards processing (as defined in the Act) of any personal data where these are made available to them as part of their work.
33. At meetings of the CO PSSB, one-third of the voting members plus one shall form a quorum. For the purposes of forming a quorum and in the event of a formal vote, voting members are those holding elected, appointed and ex-officio positions on the Board.
Last updated: July 2024
Approved: August 2024
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