Regional Groups | North East

Daniel Collerton
Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust
Bensham Hospital
Saltwell Road
Gateshead. NE8 4YL
Tel: 0191 4456690

PSIGE North East Region 2006 - 2007
Activity Report

I was re-elected as North East region PSIGE chair for a third year at our annual Away Day.

The membership of the North Eastern region PSIGE group now almost all belong to one of two huge trusts – Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Trust and Tees, Esk and Valley Trust, stretching, between them, from North Yorkshire to the Scottish borders. The PSIGE network has been an invaluable forum in which to discuss the process of change and the placement of psychological services within these organisations.

Over the last year, members of the NE PSIGE group have responded to the requirements of these trusts to develop Older People’s psychological services to provide an equitable service across the trust through, for example, advising directorate leads, taking on new responsibilities, and working flexibly to cover areas that have been historically neglected in terms of service provision.

The trusts’ drive to consider services in terms of business ‘units’ has increased the need for services to quantify their input. In some cases (e.g. challenging behaviour services) this has nurtured a growing network of multidisciplinary colleagues and the possibility of forums for discussion which may also inform future service development.

In the spirit of information and expertise sharing, the NE PSIGE membership spent some time at the annual away day this year reviewing the services each area provides and describing the specialist interests, projects and research of each of its members. This gave us the opportunity to promote relationships between PSIGE members in different areas, and strengthen people’s access to supervision and consultation between PSIGE members.

The group continues to provide teaching and placements on the Newcastle and Teesside doctoral training courses. Both of these courses are in the process of change to elements of the course/ in relationship to the university and we continue to negotiate with key university figures with regards to placement capacity and teaching requirements. The NE PSIGE continues to have a strong voice in these discussions as a result of a history of effective placement organisation by PSIGE members ensuring the provision of specialist older people’s placements for all trainees.

This has also been the year when NE PSIGE members provided the bulk of papers for the February PSIGE Newsletter. The papers were a good reflection of the diversity of interests and activities of PSIGE members and has been helpful in promoting these activities with senior managers in the new trusts.

There have been a number of new posts created in the region over the past year with other posts about to become available as people take career breaks. The NE PSIGE group continues to be a useful place for newly qualified clinical psychologists to meet peers and gain support. Our meetings usually include a presentation either of project work/ research or of a topic of current interest.

Louisa Shirley, Chair

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