An innovative career development programme has helped to recruit more experienced psychiatrists to meet increasing demand for mental health treatment.
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) was one of the first few mental health trusts to be approved by the General Medical Council (GMC) to sponsor an international recruitment programme for psychiatrists.
The EPUT Advanced Fellowship in Psychiatry offers experienced psychiatrists who have qualified abroad the opportunity to advance their career at EPUT.
It was launched in June 2021 and 33 doctors have so far been appointed from a wide range of countries, including Egypt, India, Sudan, Nepal, Nigeria and Pakistan. There are currently 29 working across the Trust.
The programme has helped to fill vacancies that might otherwise have been covered by locums on a short term basis.
Dr Abdul Raoof, Director of Medical Education at EPUT, said: “They are already highly qualified doctors so once they are settled in at EPUT, they make a massive difference to service provision.
“They are permanently contracted and qualified doctors, and they are all experienced psychiatrists and doctors.
“Their skills and experiences are valuable in helping us enhance the care we provide for our patients.”
The doctors are employed at specialty doctor level and are supported to gain further qualifications and training, including training towards becoming consultants.
There is also a strong emphasis on pastoral support to help them settle into living in a new country and working within a new healthcare system.
Dr Raoof said: “When we were approved as a sponsor by the GMC, there weren’t many mental health trusts approved as sponsors.
“That has increased now and many local trusts have contacted me about how to become a sponsor and have asked for advice on how we set up the programme.”
Dr Kallur Suresh, Deputy Medical Director for West Essex Care Unit (pictured below right) leads the EPUT Advanced Fellowship in Psychiatry programme with Dr Raoof (pictured below left).
He said: “Recruitment and retention is currently a major challenge across the NHS. EPUT is one of the earliest Trusts to open up this opportunity for International Fellows to further enhance their training and get experience of working in the UK.
“We are keen to ensure these Fellows have a positive experience of training and we are committed to supporting their career progression.
“These doctors have provided much needed stability to many services and have helped us to launch new services, such as our Urgent Care Department in Basildon.
“Ultimately, this contributes to high quality patient care and goes a long way towards achieving our vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care.”
Dr Prashanth Peethala (pictured above) was the first doctor to arrive under the scheme in August 2021.
Dr Peethala, who specialises in old age psychiatry, said: “It’s been quite an eventful journey. I really enjoy it.
“Initially it was a bit challenging but what I found was that I was very lucky because the people around me were very supportive and I got to learn a lot more than I imagined I would learn.
“It’s not just the knowledge about the subject, but it’s also about people and the people that I’m working with. That I think has been the most interesting part of the journey.”
Dr Deepthi Hudge said: “The Trust’s dedication to professional development is evident by the multitude of resources and educational opportunities provided.
“From comprehensive training programmes to mentorship initiatives, I found myself surrounded by a wealth of knowledge and expertise, which is helping me with my career progression.”
Dr Aditya Devulapalli (pictured above left) completed his residency and taught students in India. He has been at EPUT for just over a month.
He said: “It has been great. I’m loving what I am doing. I have a good work-life balance now, and colleagues are extremely helpful and have really helped me understand the system.
“And I am able to do what I love, which is teaching as well, so that’s great, it’s been good so far.”
Freya Whiting, Interim Associate Director of HR – Medical, said: “This programme is fiercely competitive and we have been so fortunate to recruit individuals to support and strengthen clinical care within EPUT.
“We hope to develop this programme and provide learning opportunities for our fellows and take forward any learning and development into the wider workforce.”
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