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Welsh Medical Academic Staff Committee

The Welsh MASC was formally constituted and recognised by the BMA in 1999 so we are a new committee in comparison to the Welsh Consultants or General Practitioners. Previously, there had been representatives from the University of Wales College of Medicine (UWCM) at the central MASC for several years.

The Welsh MASC has an active executive group, and our main activities in the past two years have centred on seeking to gain the same recognition for high quality teaching, as there is for high quality research activities by medical academics in Wales.

We have welcomed the annual expansion of the medical undergraduate intake from 180 in 1998 towards the target of nearly 300 by 2003, and the curriculum changes towards more problem-based learning and increased integration between scientific and clinical teaching in line with "Tomorrow's Doctors".

Our current main concerns are the growing pressures from the NHS for increased clinical commitments from medical academics, the lower value placed on teaching compared to research, and ensuring appropriate appraisal systems. Specifically for medical academics who are employed by UWCM and have an honorary contract for their work in the NHS, we support the BMA policy of one appraisal process and one appraiser for an individual academic, agreed between the University employer, the NHS, and the academic doctor in question. The Welsh MASC has proposed motions on these subjects at the Conference of Medical Academic Representatives (COMAR) in 1999 and 2000 and at the Annual Representative Meeting (ARM) in 2000.

Terms of reference
To consider and act upon all matters of concern to medically qualified personnel holding substantive contracts of employment with one or more of the following organisations in Wales:
a university, a medical school, a medical research council or other institution engaged in medical research. Negotiations with Health Authorities and NHS Trusts on matters affecting terms and conditions of service within the National Health Service shall be conducted through the Consultants and Specialists Committee, the General Practice Committee, the Junior Doctors Commmittee, the Committee for Public Health Medicine and Community Health, or the Welsh equivalent committees.

Constitution
Voting
five members directly elected by the medical academic staff in each medical school in Wales - on of each should be a junior academic doctor.
up to three co-opted members.

Non voting
chairman and deputy chairman of Welsh Council ex officio
chairman (or chairman) of MASC ex officio
one representative of the Welsh Consultants and Specialists Committee (WCSC)
one representative of the General Practitioner Committee (Wales) (GPC (W))
one representative of the Welsh Committee for Public Health Medicine and Community Health (WCPHMCH)
one represenatative of the Welsh Junior Doctors Committee (WJDC)
one representative of the British Dental Association
one representative of the Welsh Medical Students Committee (WMSC)

Co-opted members
The Welsh Medical Academic Staff Committee shall have the power to co-opt members in
order to secure the representation of all groups of medically qualified academic staff in
Wales subject to the proviso that the BMA shall be in the majority on the Committee.