Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

In 2005, the Post Graduate Medical Education Board (PMETB) was established as an independent regulatory body responsible for postgraduate medical education and training. It assumed its statutory powers on 30 September 2005 taking over the responsibilities of the Specialist Training Authority of the Medical Royal Colleges (STA) and the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice (JCPTGP). PMETB's statutory responsibilities included establishing, promoting, developing and maintaining standards and requirements for postgraduate medical education and training across the UK. In order to practice in the UK, doctors are legally required to be on the registers of specialists and general practicioners (GPs) maintained by the General Medical Council (GMC). A major facet of PMETB's work was to ensure that doctors were appropriately qualified and certified for application to the specialist and general practice (GP) registers. In response to this national development, the Equivalence of Training Committee was set up in August 2005, reporting to the Education Board. Its remit was to: redefine "equivalence" in respect of Specialist Registration; determine the standards required for an NHS Consultant within the specialty of obstetrics and gynaecology; agree methods of assessment according to guidance issued by PMETB; assess applications and submit recommendations to PMETB; liaise with PMETB on all appropriate issues; consider the liability to the College and how this may be indemnified. The Committee's primary function was to assess applications from O&G doctors applying to be included on the Specialist Register maintained by the General Medical Council: assessing and judging if a doctor's medical experience can be seen to be equivalent to the medical training they would have undertaken if they had passed the MRCOG. Previously the College had been responsible for deciding who should be entered onto the Specialist Register, but PMETB as an independent body took over this function in 2005. The Equivalence of Training Committee was established to report to the PMETB with recommendations on the equivalence of training, the College was no longer responsible for making the actual decision.