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Pathology Delivery Board and Department of Justice, Northern Ireland

Version:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 3

Document Code:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 SOP-008RO

Last amended:聽聽聽聽 28/06/2024

See the version control section at the end of the document for changes that were made.

Contact Officer: Rachel Webb

E: pathology@homeoffice.gov.uk

Reviewed on:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 28/06/2024

Approved By:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Dr Hamilton, Responsible Officer of the Pathology Delivery Board and Department of Justice, Northern Ireland

Next Review Date: One year from last amendment

Audience:聽聽聽 Home Office registered forensic pathologists, State Pathologists for Northern Ireland, and those persons within the Pathology Delivery Board鈥檚 independent responsible officer鈥檚 appraisal scheme.

Introduction

Since 2020, the use of video conferencing has expanded and become normality for people in all spheres of business, commerce, and medical practice; for meetings, conferences and training. The advantages to the use of video conferencing include a reduction in the need for travel, saving both travel costs and time.

This standard operating procedure was compiled following several trial video appraisals and a review of the practice and experiences of the appraisers.

Purpose

To provide a standard operating procedure for carrying out and participating in, video conference appraisals between a designated appraiser (known as 鈥榓ppraiser鈥� hereon in) and a doctor associated with the designated bodies of the Home Office Pathology Delivery Board (PDB) and Department of Justice, Northern Ireland.

Scope

This standard operating procedure applies to all doctors whose designated bodies are the Home Office Pathology Delivery Board (PDB), or the Department of Justice, Northern Ireland, and have decided to carry out a video appraisal.

It should be noted that face-to-face appraisals should take place for the following:

• New members of the Home Office Register of Forensic Pathologists, or the State Pathologist鈥檚 Department, Northern Ireland.
• Members who have a different appraiser from last year.

Associated documents

This standard operating procedure should be read in conjunction with:

1. AG-001 Guidance on annual appraisal

2. The Pathology Delivery Board鈥檚 .

3. Department of Justice, Northern Ireland, .

The following forms will be used when compiling your appraisal documentation, including:

4. AF-001 Appraisal form

5. AF-002 Reflective practice form

6. AF-003 Appraisal feedback from

7. AF-004 Significant event form

8. AF-005 Complaint form

9. AF-006 Service user feedback form

10. AF-009 Work leisure balance assessment form

11. AF-010 Practice self-assessment tool.

Guidance documents are also available as follows:

12. AG-001 Guidance on annual appraisal

13. AG-002 Exampled appraisal form guidance

14. AG-003 Service user feedback guidance

15. AG-004 Guidance on welfare advice and support.

All forms and guidance documents listed above can be found at: Annual appraisal for forensic pathologists

Equipment and supplies

1. An electronic device capable of receiving video calls.

2. A separate laptop, to view documents online whilst engaging in a video call on other device, if desired (although it is helpful to have two devices).

3. Video conferencing software, such as Microsoft Teams (end-to-end encryption available), Webex (end-to-end encryption), WhatsApp (end-to-end encryption), FaceTime (end-to-end encryption), Facebook Messenger video (not yet encrypted), Zoom (end-to-end encryption), Skype (not yet encrypted). Always ensure that you have the latest application update, installed on your device before use.

4. A stable and secure broadband connection, whether wired or wireless (but not on a public wireless network).

5. All completed appraisal forms, either electronically or paper copies for appraiser and doctor.

6. All supporting evidence, either electronic or paper copies for appraiser and doctor.

7. A secure network email address such as CJSM or doctors.net.

Responsibilities

Responsibility for different stages of the appraisal meeting is split between:

• The doctor whose appraisal is taking place via video conferencing, and,

• The appraiser carrying out the appraisal.

Handling instructions

This standard operating procedure is a document written and controlled by the Home Office Forensic Pathology Unit on behalf of the Pathology Delivery Board (PDB) and Department of Justice, Northern Ireland. No changes should be made to this document by anyone other than Home Office or Department of Justice officials. For all suggestions for amendments to this document, please contact: pathology@homeoffice.gov.uk.

All completed appraisal documentation and supporting information should be treated as 鈥極fficial: Sensitive鈥� or 鈥楶rivate and confidential鈥� by the appraiser as the information within the documentation contains personal data, subject to confidentiality requirements under the General Data Protection Regulation. Do not circulate this information further without prior approval from the data subject (the doctor whose appraisal meeting is taking place). Further information and guidance for how the appraiser should handle personal data can be read in the

For information about how the Department of Justice, Northern Ireland protects and uses information held about the State Pathologist鈥檚 Department, please read the Department鈥檚 privacy policy, available here:

Procedure

Preparation

1. It is essential that, in the first instance, the doctor is offered a face-to-face meeting and as noted in the Scope, new members or where you have a different appraiser from the previous year, these appraisals should be conducted as a face-to-face meeting. It is understandable that there may be mitigating circumstance where this isn鈥檛 possible, but in these circumstances, please consult with your responsible officer to keep them informed.

2. Both the appraiser and appraisee should agree a suitable date and time for the appraisal to take place, whilst choosing a suitable location that is free of distractions.

3. Preparation is key. Appraisers must ensure that they are fully equipped and have all the doctor鈥檚 completed appraisal forms and supporting documents before the meeting takes place. The appraisee should ensure that all documentation has been securely emailed or posted to the appraiser no later than two weeks before the appraisal is due to take place.

4. Both the appraiser and appraisee should agree on the software or application to use for video calling and test this out beforehand.

The meeting

5. The decision as to whether to record the appraisal meeting is a matter for the appraisee and appraiser. However, recording of the meeting should never be carried out covertly, without the knowledge of the participants of the meeting. The guidance for annual appraisal: AG-001, states at paragraph 5.5, that the appraiser should not keep a copy of the appraisees appraisal documentation. Therefore, it may be considered by the appraiser, not to be appropriate for the meeting to be recorded.

6. Video appraisals should not take place in public areas or over public WIFI where conversations may be overheard by the public.

7. The appraiser should make written or electronic notes during the appraisal meeting so that the flow of the meeting is not disturbed and the sign off process can be completed at the end of the meeting.

After the meeting

8. Once the meeting has taken place the draft appraisal documents should be typed by the appraiser and emailed to appraisee, preferably using their secure network email address, in order that they can be checked and agreed by the doctor being appraised.

9. The appraisee should complete an appraisal feedback form (AF-003) and return it via email to the Clinical Lead Appraiser (see contacts).

10. Once the appraisal documents have been agreed by the appraiser and appraisee, the appraiser should email the document using the CJSM email system to the Responsible Officer within four weeks of the appraisal taking place.

11. The appraiser is then requested to complete the Appraisal Summary PDP Audit Form (AF-007) and return this to Clinical Lead Appraiser (see contacts).

Definitions

Appraisee	The doctor undertaking annual appraisal.
Clinical Lead Appraiser	The lead appraiser of the cohort of designated appraisers. The clinical lead appraiser is an appraiser who carries out appraisals on doctors, in addition to providing support to the responsible officer.
Designated appraiser	A doctor who has participated meaningfully in an appraiser training day, will facilitate the appraisal process, and will be responsible for signing off the appraisal form. Depending upon the appraisee鈥檚 scope of work, there may be more than one appraiser. For example, where a forensic pathologist has an academic role, there may be a university appraiser.
Designated body	The organisation with which appraisee has a prescribed connection.
Personal data	鈥淎ny information relating to an identified or identifiable living individual (subject to subsection (14)(c)).鈥� (Data Protection Act 2018 c. 12, Part 1, Section 3 (2))
Prescribed connection	This is the connection a doctor has to a designated body (for revalidation purposes) and is based on a number of factors; including, but not limited to, the organisation that you have been employed under, or organisations to which you have a membership. See web link: , for more information.
Responsible officer	The responsible officer has specific responsibilities relating to the evaluation of the fitness to practise of doctors connected with designated bodies. A key responsibility is to recommend to the GMC whether or not a doctor should be revalidated.

Templates

There are no templates associated with this standard operating procedure.

Contacts

sjh107@leicester.ac.uk

Clinical Lead Appraiser (position vacant)

Further information about the post holder for the clinical lead appraiser position should be communicated to the respective audience in September 2024.

Version control

Version Number	Date Approved	Approved By	Brief Description
3	01/07/2024	Dr S. Hamilton	Placed SOP onto Home Office branding which incorporates new sections such as 鈥楻esponsibilities鈥�, 鈥楬andling instructions鈥�, 鈥楧efinitions鈥� and 鈥楥ontacts鈥�.
2.1	01/09/2023	Prof G. Rutty	Update to 鈥楢ssociated Documents鈥� list - Addition of new forms: AF-009 and AF-010; removal of AF-007 and AG-002. Update to 鈥楽pecial notes鈥� to remove 鈥渨here ever possible鈥�. Reordering of the list of video conferencing software within 鈥楨quipment and materials鈥� with preferable first and least preferable, last. Insertion of point (5) about recording the meeting.
2.0	12/08/2022	Prof G. Rutty	Update to 鈥楢ssociated Documents鈥� list 鈥� Addition of new 鈥楢F-006 Service user feedback form鈥�; addition of 鈥楢F-007 Appraisal Summary Audit form鈥�; addition of 鈥楢G-002: Guidance for description of practice form鈥� [this is an error]; addition of 鈥榥ew 鈥楢G-003: Service user feedback guidance鈥�. Addition of point (9) to 鈥楶rotocol鈥� section. Change of clinical lead appraiser from Dr Nat Cary to Dr Stuart Hamilton.
1.1	28/07/2020	Prof G. Rutty	Update to 鈥楢ssociated Documents鈥� list - removal of 鈥楢F-002: Description of practice form鈥�, replaced with 鈥楢F-002: Reflective practice form鈥�; removal of 鈥楢F-006: Checklist for appraisal form鈥�; removal of 鈥楢F-007 Appraisal Summary Audit form鈥�; removal of 鈥楢G-002: Guidance for description of practice form鈥� replaced with 鈥楢G-002: Exampled appraisal form鈥�; removal of AG-003: Annual appraisal meeting agenda template.
1.0	25/03/2020	Prof G. Rutty	First compiled document.