MEE FAQs

Q1. Why are you setting up NHS MEE?

A. The concept of NHS Medical Education England (MEE) and its proposed functions were recommended in Aspiring to Excellence, the report of Sir John Tooke’s independent inquiry into Modernising Medical Careers and the recruitment problems of 2007.

There was professional support for a body that would, in summary, cover medical education and training and workforce planning. The formal recommendation was made during the NHS Next Stage Review (NSR) which was already considering, among other things, future clinical roles, workforce planning, education commissioning and funding, education structure and professional regulation.

The NSR’s detailed review of NHS workforce and education policy was named A High Quality Workforce. The work that went into this document included extensive consultation with stakeholders. Partly as a result of that consultation, it was announced that a new body called MEE would be created.

 

Q2. What is MEE’s status? Does it make the decisions? How independent is it?

MEE is an independent advisory "Non-Departmental Public Body" (NDPB).  NDPBs are characterised as "a body which has a role in the process of national government, but is not a Government department, or part of one, and which operates to a greater or lesser extent at arm’s length from Ministers".

MEE is "advisory" rather than "executive" because it does not have executive functions.

It:

  • will provide independent expert advice and input into the policy-making process
  • will not have a staff, but is supported by a Secretariat from the Department of Health (DH)
  • will not have a budget, costs incurred will come within DH expenditure (please see Q.11 below)
  • will be a standing body meeting on a regular basis
    and
  • Ministers are ultimately answerable for the performance of MEE and its continued existence.

Q3. If it doesn’t make the decisions, what is the point of having it?

A. Formally, ministers have to retain ultimate responsibility for strategic management of the NHS and its workforce, as mandated by the electorate. However, that does not mean that ‘advisory’ committees cannot have significant power and influence. For example, Ministers have accepted every single recommendation made to date by the MMC England Programme Board, which has overseen recruitment, education and training for the past year. In this way, an advisory committee can directly influence policy decisions.

 

Q4. What areas of business will MEE cover?

MEE has an over-arching strategic role and will have the following core functions for doctors, dentists, healthcare scientists and pharmacists:

  • bringing a coherent professional voice on matters relating to education and training and advising the DH on policy
  • professional high level scrutiny of and advice on the quality of workforce planning at national level (and necessarily this will include some level of scrutiny of regional planning)
  • professional scrutiny of and advice on the education and training commissioning plans developed at Strategic Health Authority (SHA) level
  • co-ordination of changes to postgraduate training pathways at a national level
  • integration of service and professional perspectives in curricula development (including associated assessment frameworks)
  • liaison with other healthcare professional education national oversight bodies and relevant bodies in the Devolved Administrations

Q5. And will this be echoed at regional level, as Sir John Tooke envisaged?

A. A High Quality Workforce proposes regional advisory machinery to provide multi-professional and clinical pathway advice on workforce planning at Strategic Health Authority level.

The regional role will be developed in parallel with MEE’s work and will bring a multi-disciplinary perspective in advising MEE on regional plans.

 

Q6. Who will be the members of MEE? Who will they be accountable to?

A. MEE will be accountable to the Secretary of State through the NHS Medical Director who will also be a member of MEE – as will the newly created post of Director of Medical Education. As well as the independently appointed Chair, the majority of members will be from outside the Department of Health.

 

Non-departmental members:

The composition and numbers are being finalised in parallel with the appointment of Chair but is anticipated as:

  • Chair of English Postgraduate Deans, or a Postgraduate Dean nominated by English Deans
  • Dean or Head of School for Dentistry or Health Care Science or Pharmacy, held on rotation.  The first nomination will be by the Dental Schools Council
  • Dean of a Medical School, nominated by the Medical Schools Council
  • Nominee of the Academy of Medical Sciences
  • Four Nominees of the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges
  • Nominee of the British Dental Association
  • Four Nominees of the British Medical Association
  • Three nominees of the NHS Confederation, to include an NHS Trust Medical Director and a representative of NHS Foundation Trusts
  • Nominee of the Federation for Health Care Science
  • Nominee of the General Medical Council (taking account of the forthcoming merger with the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board)
  • Nominee of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
  • Patient Representative, nominated by the Department of Health’s National Director of Patient and Public Affairs
  • SHA Chief Executive, nominated by Chief Executives
  • SHA Director of Workforce, nominated by Directors of Workforce

Departmental Members

  • Chief Dental Officer
  • Chief Pharmaceutical Officer
  • Chief Scientific Officer
  • Director General of Workforce
  • Director of Medical Education
  • National Clinical Director, designated by the NHS Medical Director
  • NHS Medical Director

Q7. That’s a big organisation – certainly larger than what Sir John Tooke envisaged. Why so much bigger? And won’t that prevent MEE from being authoritative?

A. We sympathised with Sir John’s call for a relatively small MEE. However, in practice, given the fact that four distinct professions are involved, as is a variety of stakeholders, and a wide remit, it is not easy to limit NHSMEE to a very small membership.

The experience of the MMC (England) Programme Board, which has made all key recommendations to ministers regarding the 2009 recruitment process, is that large committees are still able to reach and make clear recommendations.

Additionally, the Chair, in consultation with members, may decide that there should be an Executive Committee of MEE members, in particular to assist in the planning and management of MEE activity.

 

Q8. Will MEE have any sub-committees?

A. The MMC England Programme Board for postgraduate medical education and training will be established as a committee of MEE. Similar committees for dentistry, health care sciences and pharmacy will be developed by their respective Chief Officers, though unlike the Programme Board these committees are expected to have workforce planning roles.

 

Q9. How will it be supported? Will it have its own secretariat?

A. Support and a secretariat will be provided by the Department of Health as part of the Workforce Directorate’s Medical Education and Training Policy branch.  It will also support the Programme Board, and as they develop, the committees for Dentistry, Health Care Sciences and Pharmacy.

In addition to the Secretariat role, the branch will provide policy support to MEE, acting principally through the Director of Medical Education.

 

Q10. How can MEE really be ‘independent’ of the Department of Health without holding a budget or having a secretariat independent of the Department?

A. The Chair of MEE will be independent, and appointed by the independent NHS Appointments Commission, while its membership has been selected via stakeholder nominations.

MEE will also have the ability, and budget, to commission external work or reviews. The approximate value of this is up to £5 million. While its secretariat will be provided by the Department of Health, they will be dedicated to MEE, will not be appointed until the MEE Chair has been appointed, and will organise meetings and provide support for both MEE and the MMC Programme Board. The Secretariat will have an operating budget of around £200,000 to cover pay and non-pay costs.

 

Q11. Will MEE cover the UK, or England and Wales, or England only?

A. MEE is accountable for England issues only, but in areas of its work and advice, a UK-wide perspective may be needed. In addition to the offer of observer status on MEE for each of the Devolved Administrations, there are Chief Officer meetings outside the terms and governance of MEE. These other meetings include:

  • Dentistry:  UK Chief Dental Officers Group
  • Health Care Sciences: Modernising Scientific Careers UK Oversight Group; UK Policy Group; Chaired by DH Chief Scientific Officer 
  • Medicine: Chief Medical Officers UK Coordinating Group; DH Director of Medical Education is a member
  • Pharmacy: UK Chief Pharmaceutical Officers Group

Q12. When will MEE have its meetings? Are they open to the public?

A. MEE will meet not less than four times each year and, especially in its first year of operation, may need to meet more frequently than this.  The first meeting, following inception on 1 January 2009, will be held in January 2009.

It is anticipated that the Chair and Members designate will meet informally in December 2008 to consider the scope of MEE activities and to begin the process of establishing the work programme.  It is anticipated that this will be informed by prior stakeholder engagement and consultation.

Ultimately, it will be for the MEE Chair to decide on whether or not to hold meetings in public.

 

Q13. Will MEE have its own website?

A. We will support MEE in establishing just such a site to set out its work plan, details of members and meetings, and to publish reports and findings. In the interim, updates and further information will be placed on the national MMC website.