The UK Foundation Programme Office has formally recognised the high quality of Postgraduate Medical Education provided by the Malta Foundation School and awarded it affiliated status.
At a ceremony at Mater Dei Hospital, hosted by Dr Joseph Cassar, Minister for Health, and attended by H.E. Louise Stanton, British High Commissioner, the UK Foundation Programme Office and the Ministry for Health, the Elderly and Community Care signed the historic agreement extending affiliation until 2016.
The Malta Foundation School is the only school outside of the UK to be awarded affiliated status. This is in recognition of the ground-breaking work by Prof. Kevin Cassar and Dr Tonio Piscopo, Co-Directors of the Malta Foundation School and their team, to radically reform the early years of postgraduate training in Malta. Maltese medical graduates now benefit from a structured and highly supervised programme as they transition from medical student to specialist training. This enables them to progress safely to more independent practice and deliver high quality patient care.
Historically, many Maltese doctors moved abroad to train immediately after graduating from medical school leading to staffing shortages. However, since 2009 the majority of medical graduates have chosen to stay in Malta to not only complete their first two years of training in the new Foundation Programme, but also to undertake their specialist or general practice training. Affiliated status with the UK Foundation Programme Office both recognises the quality of training and allows medical graduates to more easily access specialist training in the UK, if needed.
While addressing those present, Joseph Cassar, Minister for Health, the Elderly and Community Care said, “We are committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for patients. It is essential that we invest in the next generation of medical specialists to ensure that we can continue to deliver world class healthcare. The Malta Foundation School is part of a series of measures to ensure that we retain our graduates and train them to deliver high quality care that meets the needs of the people of Malta. I am delighted that our commitment to educational excellence has been internationally recognised.”
British High Commissioner H.E Louise J Stanton said that,”it’s a great pleasure to welcome back the UK Foundation Programme Office, who are here to award the Malta Foundation School affiliated status. I am impressed with the continuing hard work and dedication the Malta Foundation School is putting in to make the Foundation Programme work, and that is why the Malta Foundation School is the only school outside of the UK to be awarded affiliated status. This historic agreement is yet another successful example of British and Maltese governments working together, and sharing best practice for the benefit of citizens of both countries.”
Dr Tonio Piscopo, one of the Directors of the Malta Foundation School, said that historically junior doctors have had variable training experiences and that there wasn’t a clear structure for their training. Although they may have had an education plan or a mid-term appraisal, everything was very dependent on their supervising consultant at the time. “Now they have to demonstrate by the end of the Foundation Programme that they met the explicit requirements for satisfactory completion. This allows them to compete at an international level, entering specialty training and continuing their medical career either in Malta or abroad,” concluded Dr Piscopo.
“Setting up the Malta Foundation School in 2009 was an extraordinary achievement,” said Professor Derek Gallen, National Director of the UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO). He added that, “My colleagues from the UK Foundation Programme Office and I are impressed by the dedication and commitment shown by the Maltese Government and those involved in medical education and training to realise this vision. We are extremely pleased that over the last two years the Malta Foundation School has proven to be the success we knew it would be, and as a result are continuing our affiliation for a further five years.”