1. Dr Duncan cross University of Bolton d.cross@Bolton.ac.uk
Reache North West – Applying transition pedagogy principles to refugee healthcare professionals and international medical graduates/students
Dr Duncan cross
University of Bolton

2. Whistle stop tour Background
Reache North West (intro, location, entry criteria)
Transition programme
Students (Diversity)
Programme Ethos and Design
Educational Interventions (Engagement and Assessment)
Evaluation and Monitoring procedures
Success of the programme

3. Background
1/3 of UK healthcare workforce from overseas (including Europe)
Majority will have had postgraduate training in UK Higher Education
Transition programmes have not been common place in UK National Health Service (NHS)

4. Reache north west
REfugee and Asylum seekers Centre for Healthcare professionals Education
Established 2003
Funded by Health Education England (HEE) for the National Health Service (NHS)
Education, training and support to International Medical Graduates/Students

5. Location
Reache North West is based in a large UK NHS teaching hospital (Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust)
North West of England (Near Manchester)

6. Entry to programme Eligibility –
Qualification on World Health Organisation list of recognised institutions
Qualification must be recognised for equivalency with professional organisations (e.g. General Medical Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council)
Asylum seeker or refugee status

7. Transition programme GMC Registration and license to practice* PLAB 2
Primarily to meet regulatory requirements
English Language - IELTS
PLAB 1
PLAB 2
GMC Registration and license to practice*
IELTS - International English Language Testing System
PLAB - Professional Linguistic Assessment Board
GMC - General Medical Council
* Must have refugee status or right to work in addition

8. Students (Diversity) Entry point dependent on student
New graduates to senior consultants and professors
Age range from early twenties to sixties
Origin and Languages
Origin of primary medical qualification
Since 2003 approximatley 700 students

9. Programme ethos (DESIGN)
Beyond the regulatory process
Safe and effective practitioners
Stenhouse 1975 p 142 ‘A curriculum is an attempt to communicate the essential principles and features of an educational proposal in such a form that is open to critical scrutiny and capable of effective translation into practice’
English Language - IELTS
PLAB 1
PLAB 2
GMC Registration and license to practice

10. ‘Reache North West model of education and training for Refugee Healthcare Professionals – Cross 2014’ (Design)

11. Educational interventions (Engagement and assessment)
6 days of English classes (ESOL, IELTS, Professional English)
Weekly Medical classes (ECK/Clinical Update/PLAN)
Experiential work based learning (Placements, CAPs) include weekly reviews
Safe and Effective Clinical Communication (SECC)
Preparing for Work (PFW)
Personal tutoring

12. Evaluation and monitoring
Emphasis on Safe practitioners not targets
Regulatory examinations points (e.g. Post Exam review regardless of result)
Review meetings every 6 months – whole team
2 reports – Butler and Eversley (2006), Cross (2012) – both engaged students
Steering group

13. Success – Evaluation and Monitoring
Since 2003
Over 700 applications to the programme
Over 200 returned to original career path
150 to alternative careers
50 removed from programme
200 stopped attending with no further contact
Current cohort 100

14. What’s the cost Budget around £400,000 annually
Now have over 200 additional taxpayers on medical salaries
Approx £1.5 million per year in tax contributions

15. Acknowledgements Huge Thank You to REACHE NORTH WEST
Dr Maeve Keaney, Dr Anne Smalldridge. Mick Sykes, Dr Sam Campbell, Anne Ashworth, Michelle Brennan, Sam McCarter, Margaret Cartledge, Marilyn Morrison, students, and volunteers
University of Bolton - Jenkinson Awards

16. THANK YOU
Any questions?