Staff Grade and Associate Specialist Doctors

In the Oxford Deanery, an Associate Postgraduate Dean, Dr Peter Khin Tun (peter.tun@oxforddeanery.nhs.uk), has overall responsibility for the delivery of career and professional support for the nearly 500 Staff Grade and Associate Specialist Doctors ( SASG s or SAS ) working in the 12 Trusts within the Deanery.  

The previous Associate Postgraduate Dean for SASG s was Mr John Lourie. John was a regional adviser in trauma and orthopaedic surgery, and is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon. He also directs the Oxford Refugee Health Professionals Support Project, and has been an external examiner in musculoskeletal medicine to the Oxford undergraduate medical school. He also undertakes overseas aid agency work.

The actual provision of the support for the SASG s, together with funding on a basis proportional to the number of SAS doctors in each Trust, has been devolved to seven SAS Tutors, who work in the major Trusts in the Deanery.

Three of the Tutors are consultants and four are Associate Specialists, and all have complete autonomy in delivering educational and professional support in whatever way is locally considered most appropriate. Within each Trust, the Tutor has formed a small sub-committee to assist with day-to-day decision-making, and dealing with applications for funding from SAS doctors. For administrative purposes the smaller Trusts in the Deanery (mainly PCT s) are amalgamated with the larger nearby Trusts, who receive a proportional per capita increase in funding allocation (including a nominal amount for administrative support).

A database of all SAS doctors in the Deanery is maintained and regularly updated by the SAS Project Officer, Liz Bailey(sas.doctors@hotmail.co.uk). The target grades included in the listing of " SAS doctors" are Associate Specialists, Staff Grades, Clinical Assistants, Hospital Practitioners and Specialty Doctors (under the new contract).

There are also regular publications sent via email which include a quarterly OXSAS newsletter and a diary of forthcoming events being held in the Oxford region. Newsletters can be found by viewing the 'What is Available?' page.

Please refer to the SAS Policy for more information.