Continuing professional development for staff and associate specialist grade doctors: The final frontier?

Abstract

The staff and associated specialist grade in psychiatry represents a large proportion of the non-consultant career grade workforce in some areas of the UK, with no direct equivalent worldwide. The advent of separate funding for continuing professional development (CPD) in England offers an opportunity to commission bespoke educational resources for a group of doctors who deliver front-line clinical care. This article details the background to the UK staff and associated specialist grade workforce and describes a model of CPD delivery that has attempted to meet training needs, with a view to improving patient care. Also at the heart of this model is the acquisition of consultant-level competencies through personal and professional development.