Blog
NCHD Conference 2024 Opening Address
- February 28, 2024
- Posted by: hkearns@irishpsychiatry.ie
- Category: Blog
The College President, Dr Lorcan Martin gave the opening address to a group of Non Consultant Doctors (NCHDs) at the 15th annual NCHD conference on Friday, 23rd February. The theme for this year’s conference was ‘#Trending’ with a particular focus on exploring topical themes in psychiatry relevant to trainees.
The event was in full attendance, with lively interaction from the audience and a great variety of speakers. Topics covered included Personality Disorders, Functional Disorders, and Drug Trends as well as breakout sessions on career advice, examination preparation and getting into research.
The full program can be found here, and the college press statement released in advance of the conference, where Dr Martin said the ‘prolonged funding shortfall is detrimental for Irish patients’, is here.
Dr Lorcan Martin delivering his welcome address at the NCHD Conference 2024.
Here is the full text of Dr Martin’s welcome address:
‘Good morning everyone and it is a real pleasure to be here. Looking out at so many young faces, I realise that, while my arms may be more useful than those of a tyrannosaur, I feel just as prehistoric. This time last year was my first official function as President and it has been quite a year, some great, some not so great and some of which we shall never speak again for fear of crushing embarrassment – yes, I attempted to dance at a conference.
I would like to say things have changed substantially on the psychiatric landscape since I last addressed you but, sadly, we still face many of the same challenges that we did this time last year. The proposed new version of the Mental Health Act still hovers in the wings, the Assisted Decision Making Capacity Act remains as confusing as ever and issues around recruitment and retention persist, as mental health budgets remain persistently and embarrassingly low. The spectre of burnout still clouds the working day, and personal lives, of many colleagues. However, it is not all doom, gloom or any other -oom you may wish to add. The College continues to advocate strongly with government and other stakeholders for funding and resources and we have seen a genuine interest in what we have to say. The College and its members have been more present than ever in the media – print, broadcast or online – representing psychiatry as the scientific medical specialty that it is and helping to tease out the unhelpful and misleading confusion around mental health and mental illness. Already, just in February alone, we have been quoted or interviewed in a minimum of 8 national media outlets. College members have also offered expert advice to bodies such as the recent Citizens’ Assembly on Illicit Drugs’ Use and the current Oireachtas Joint Committee on Assisted Dying. It is important that we continue this momentum and I hope you will be part of that!
Training is a core function of the College and it takes it very seriously. The training programme is constantly under review and, as many of you will be aware, there is a major review of the Curriculum under way. The recent NDTP task force report made a number of recommendations, and it is encouraging to see that our College already has many of them in place for some time, including publication of statistics, a grievance policy, transparency of eligibility criteria and regionalised training schemes. It also recommended regular training of supervisors, something our College has been doing for many years. In fact, this year saw the first Supervisors’ conference and such was the interest that it was over-subscribed. However, as seriously as the College and you take your training, it is not all about WPBAs and exams. These things are a fundamental part of becoming a specialist psychiatrist but training is also a time to enjoy, to develop yourself as a person and a professional and to make friends and find colleagues who will always be a support to you.
It is never too early to contribute to your College or to make a difference. Do not feel that you have nothing to say because you are at a basic training level. The extraordinarily thorough examination of the Oireachtas Report regarding the proposed changes to the Mental Health Act by one BST trainee went on to form the basis of the College response to that horrendously unbalanced document. An article written by members of the Trainee Committee set out concerns of psychiatrists of the future in relation to the proposed changes was a valuable contribution. Trainees have also contributed to updating some of the information on our website regarding various conditions. These are but a few of the examples in which NCHDs of all grades are adding to the College, either individually or via the Trainee Committee. We welcome input and suggestions and, as you progress and wish to advocate for your patients or services, the EAP Department is always there to support and advise you.
We must never forget who we are. Our profession has a vocational quality that is unlike others outside the health-care professions. However, we also train for a long time to be specialists, to be experts and to be leaders – leaders in our fields, leaders of our teams and leaders in broader society. People look to us for our expertise and our professionalism and, looking around me today, I have every faith that that time-honoured tradition will live on.
This is the 15th NCHD conference and its longevity is a testament to the effort of the organisers and to the content. This year promises to live up to and, dare I say it, exceed that high standard. I would like to congratulate the Trainee Committee and to thank them for inviting me to be part of this event.
I will conclude now and wish you all an enjoyable and educational day and remember #itsaboutpeople’.