Pain Medicine Programme

Meet the Team

Training Programme Director Pain, Pan London & KSS - Dr Fauzia Hasnie

Dr Fauzia Hasnie MBBS, BSc (Hons), PhD, FRCA is a Consultant in Pain Medicine and Anaesthesia at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London since 2014. She was appointed Training Programme Director for Pain, Pan London and KSS in June 2021, having previously been Faculty Tutor for Pain. She is responsible for managing the SIA in Pain Medicine (Advanced Pain Training programme) across London and KSS; and leading and organising the Advanced Pain Regional Study Day programme.

Dr Hasnie has a background in pre-clinical research having completed a Wellcome Trust funded PhD in the study of neuropathic pain at Imperial College where she was also a member of the London Pain Consortium. She is actively involved in clinical research with experience as Principal- and Sub-Investigator in clinical trials related to diabetic neuropathy, CRPS and lumbosacral radiculopathy. Her clinical interests also extend to opioid analgesia and pain in sickle cell disease. She is joint Lead for the Sickle-Pain and Diabetes-Pain Clinics and leads a multidisciplinary Opioid Clinic and Neuropathic Pain Clinic at St Thomas’ Hospital.

Dr Hasnie is committed to supporting trainees at all levels of pain training. She values a collaborative style of training reflecting more multidisciplinary/ multispecialty clinical working; and more personalised training where specific interests can be developed.

Regional Advisor Pain, North Thames - Dr Ashish Shetty

Contact: ashish.shetty@nhs.net

Dr Ashish Shetty, MBBS, FRCA, FFPMRCA is a Consultant in Pain Management at University College London Hospitals since 2014. He is an Honorary Associate Professor at UCL and Lead for Education and Neuromodulation at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. He is also Adolescent Transition Lead and Honorary Consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital. In addition to neuromodulation, his research interests include pelvic pain, headache, neuropathic pain and medicolegal aspects. Dr Shetty is currently the FPM Regional Advisor for North Thames.

Regional Advisor Pain, South Thames - Dr Sandesha Kothari

Contact: sandeshakothari@nhs.net

Dr Sandesha Kothari is a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Medway NHS Foundation Trust since 2005. Her areas of clinical interest include pelvic pain and regional anaesthesia. She is currently FPM Regional Advisor for South Thames and KSS. Dr Kothari has a well-established background in education having previously been Training Programme Director for Pain in South Thames, Deputy Educational Meetings Coordinator for the FPM and Council Member of the Education Committee.

SIA in Pain Medicine

The SIA in Pain Medicine is a competency and time-based year (or work time equivalent if LTFT) of advanced pain training undertaken during years ST6/7. It builds on pain training experience at Stages 2 and 3, although it is not necessary that Stage 3 Pain is completed before embarking on the SIA in Pain Medicine (stage 3 Pain can be completed alongside the SIA). A SIA in Pain Medicine may also be undertaken as a 6-month post.

During the SIA in Pain Medicine, trainees will gain experience in multidisciplinary team working to provide physical, pharmacological, interventional and psychological management of acute, acute on chronic, chronic and cancer-related pain. Key capabilities will include being able to manage referrals/ triage within the pain service; manage an outpatient pain medicine clinic; manage pain procedural cases; participate effectively within a pain multidisciplinary team; manage patients taking drugs of potential addiction; understand the socioeconomic, occupational health and medico legal aspects of pain medicine; understand the healthcare infrastructure and the pain service; manage pain in paediatric patients (chronic and inpatient acute pain); and in cancer patients.

Curriculum:

Please refer to the RCoA FPM document ‘Guide to Pain Medicine training in the 2021 Anaesthetics Curriculum’ under section 6. 'Useful Links/ Resources'. Further information on the curriculum can be found on the RCoA FPM website.

Assessment:

During the SIA in Pain Medicine, trainees will undergo regular assessment as outlined in the curriculum. The requirements for assessment can be found on the RCoA FPM website (see link under section 6. 'Useful Links/ Resources'). In addition, trainees will undergo quarterly assessment with their local Pain Faculty Tutor; and formal biannual reviews led by the TPD and RAs. Assessment forms for these can be found under section 6. 'Useful Links/ Resources'.

Logbook:

Trainees are required to maintain a pain logbook; an example of which may be found on the RCoA FPM website with links to download all the necessary software. A sample logbook is available under section 6. 'Useful Links/ Resources'.

Regional Study Days:

Trainees are also required to attend a programme of teaching over the year that is delivered virtually and/or face-to-face on a monthly basis. Please see section 6. 'Useful Links/ Resources' for upcoming dates and topics.

Training Updates:

Trainees should register with the Faculty of Pain Medicine. This will ensure you are on a training updates mailing list and connected into training activities.

Rotations/Trusts

Currently, there are 12 posts across London and KSS.

For trainees who wish to apply for the SIA in Pain Medicine, information on each training centre is provided below, including contact information and details of any anaesthetic on-call commitment during the SIA. Please note that pairings for rotations sometimes change but will be advertised in advance. To view this information, please click on the relevant link below:

Application process:

There are 2 rounds of recruitment each year for the SIA in Pain Medicine: (1) March for jobs commencing in August that year; (2) September for jobs commencing in February the following year. Application is competitive via an online application form. There is no interview. Applicants are anonymised for scoring and ranking. You will be asked to preference the available posts and will be given the opportunity to let us know of any personal circumstances you wish to be taken into account prior to allocation. Please note that stage 2 Pain must be completed by the end of ST5 as a condition of appointment.

Applications for posts commencing August 2022: now closed.

Applications for posts commencing February 2023: The available posts for jobs across London and KSS commencing February 2023 will be advertised here in September 2022. The application round will open for 2 weeks in early September.

Trainee Rep

Trainee Rep London & KSS (Feb 2022 – Feb 2023) - Dr Samina Shah
Contact: saminashah1@nhs.net/ samina.shah@doctors.org.uk

The Trainee Rep position is via competitive application – ideally the post is taken on for a 12-month period.

Advanced Pain Trainee Rep Role & Responsibilities:

Help support high quality pain training in London & KSS.
Help sign post trainees to the support they may need.
Meet and engage with trainees regularly (face-to-face, via email or whatsapp) to gain feedback about local programme. This includes co-ordinating the trainee whatsapp group.
Regular contact with TPD to discuss trainee/ training feedback and any issues or training positives.
Conduct (bi)annual trainee survey on various aspects of advanced pain training.
Attend the twice yearly LKPTAG (London & KSS Pain Training Advisory Group) meeting to present trainee feedback report. Meetings take place in January and July.
Responsible for feeding back to trainees relevant information and responses from the LKPTAG meeting or from the Faculty.
Responsible to help TPD advertise and co-ordinate the APT teaching programme.

FFPMRCA Examination

The FFPMRCA examination was established in 2012 and covers both practical clinical knowledge and knowledge of relevant sciences. It is similar in structure to the Final FRCA with an initial written exam consisting of MTF (multiple true/false), SBA (single best answer) and EMQ (extended matching questions). If that is passed, it is followed by two structured oral examinations: one clinical and one on relevant basic sciences.

Please note that the MCQ may be undertaken at any point but that you need to have completed a 6-month SIA in Pain Medicine before the SOE can be undertaken.

Guidance relating to the FFPMRCA examination and upcoming dates can be found on the FPM website. Please see link below:

https://fpm.ac.uk/training-examinations/ffpmrca-examinations

Upcoming FFPMRCA Examination Dates:

Next MCQ sitting: Wednesday 24 August 2022

(Applications opening date: Monday 23 May; closing date: Thursday 07 July 2022)

Next SOE sitting: 11 October 2022

(Applications opening date: 01 August 2022; closing date: 16 September 2022)

Exam resources:

Examination resources used by previous successful candidates are linked under section 6. 'Useful Links/ Resources'.

Useful links/resources

https://fpm.ac.uk/careers-workforce/career-pain-medicine

https://fpm.ac.uk/training-examinations-training-and-curricula/advanced-pain-training