Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides integrated healthcare services including intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire.
Our On Our Minds blog shares lived experiences from colleagues at the Trust and patients who use or have used our services on a variety of topics from a wide range of services.
Today we hear from Dr Jorge Diaz-Munoz about his role as a SAS doctor in psychiatry and the approved clinician (AC) programme. The AC programme is designed to equip doctors with the necessary competencies to provide a high standard of psychiatric care while ensuring that we adhere to the best practices and ethical standards. Through this programme, you have the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse team of professionals, including nurses, psychologists, and social workers, fostering a holistic approach to mental health treatment.
I applied for the pilot scheme for SAS in psychiatry (supported by Health Education England) which is part of the new national curriculum for training mental health professionals seeking ‘Approved Clinician’ status.
I was accepted and am currently doing a PGCert Professional Practice in Mental Health Law (Trainee MPAC) - 18 months Part-time at the University of Exeter.
It has been a rewarding experience and a new challenge regarding doing essays, reading academic literature, and learning about complex mental health law and cases. The course gives me more confidence to acquire the right competences to be successful when applying to get AC approval and enhance my motivation as it is a concrete example for SAS career progression.