Radiology Resident Doctors Forum (RRDF) Executive Committee

• Dr A Taylor

• Dr A Ali
• Dr M Belasco
• Dr L Earnshaw
• Dr J Fish
• Dr H Mansour
• Dr S Robertson
• Dr L Warburton

• Dr S Wilkinson

1. Aims
   1. To represent the interests of resident doctors within the College by appointing RRDF representatives to sit on the Specialty Training Board, Board of Faculty and any other sub-committees as deemed appropriate. Focus should be on training, examinations, career structure and the long-term development of the specialty in line with the forward plan of the College.
   2. To aid the dissipation of information from the College through RRDF representatives to resident doctors nationwide and to provide a channel for them to have a voice at the College.
   3. To foster relationships with the Members and Fellows of the Royal College of Radiologists and with other Royal Colleges and societies, such as the European Society of Radiology and the Society of Radiologists in Training.
   4. To maintain links with the Oncology Registrars' Forum.
   5. To involve resident doctors in the work of the College and to make the College more accessible.
2. Composition of the RRDF Executive Committee
   An Executive Committee will be appointed from the RRDF members. The RRDF Executive Committee will consist of six members. It will have a Chair and a Vice-Chair. Geographical diversity is encouraged; ideally the committee should include at least one member from a training programme outside of England. The Medical Director, Education and Training of the Faculty of Clinical Radiology will attend both Executive and RRDF meetings ex officio.
3. Appointment of representatives
   1. Members of the RRDF will appoint the members of the RRDF Executive Committee.
   2. All RRDF members will be eligible to be appointed as a member of the RRDF Executive Committee.
   3. The RRDF coordinator will keep a record of the terms of office of all RRDF Executive Committee members. The coordinator will notify each three months before their term of office is due to end and initiate the process to appoint a successor.
   4. When an appointment needs to be effected, expressions of interest to serve will be sought from all those eligible to stand. If there is only a single candidate, he or she will be appointed on the approval of the RRDF Chair; if there is more than one candidate, an election will be held in accordance with the process laid out below.
   5. Members of the RRDF Executive Committee will be appointed for a period of two years; they may stand for re-appointment on yearly basis thereafter for the duration of their term of office on the RRDF. The maximum tenure of four years for the RRDF may be extended by a year if appropriate, in the interests of providing continuity on the Executive Committee. If appointed to the Executive committee within the first two years of their tenure on the RRDF, the member's term on the RRDF may be extended by a year (making the initial term on the RRDF three years) without having to go through the election procedure.
   6. Should a member of the RRDF Executive Committee wish to demit office early, they must provide written notice to the RRDF coordinator at least three months in advance of the proposed conclusion date for their term of office. This length of notice may be waived by the RRDF Chair in exceptional circumstances.
4. RRDF Chair and Vice-Chair
   1. The members of the RRDF Executive Committee will appoint a Chair and Vice-Chair.
   2. All members of the RRDF Executive Committee will be eligible to be appointed as Chair or Vice-Chair.
   3. The RRDF coordinator will keep a record of the terms of office of the Chair and Vice-Chair. The coordinator will notify each three months before their term of office is due to end and initiate the process to appoint a successor.
   4. When an appointment needs to be effected, expressions of interest will be sought from all those eligible to stand. If there is only a single candidate, he or she will be appointed on the approval of the RRDF Chair; if there is more than one candidate, an election will be held in accordance with the process laid out below.
   5. The Chair and Vice-Chair will be appointed for a period of two years. The Chair and Vice Chair's tenure on the RRDF may be extended by up to one year, if appropriate, should it expire before their term as Chair/Vice Chair is up.
   6. Should the RRDF Chair or Vice-Chair wish to demit office early, they must provide written notice to the RRDF Coordinator at least three months in advance of the proposed conclusion date for their term of office. This length of notice may be waived by the RRDF Chair (or Vice-Chair in the case of the Chair) in exceptional circumstances.
5. Election procedures
   1. An election shall be held if more than one candidate wishes to stand for appointment as a member of the RRDF Executive Committee, the RRDF Chair or the RRDF Vice-Chair.
   2. If a vacancy arises other than at the conclusion of the incumbent's standard term of office, appointment of a replacement will be initiated by the Chair through the RRDF coordinator.
   3. For a member of the RRDF Executive Committee and for the RRDF Chair or Vice-Chair all members of the RRDF will be eligible to vote.
   4. Elections will be held by ballot under such voting system and in such a manner (including, if appropriate, the use of electronic means) as the RRDF may decide.
   5. A ballot will be provided to each person entitled to vote in the election. Ballots conducted outside of meetings will specify the address to which they are to be returned (which will usually be by email to the RRDF coordinator) and the closing date for receipt. Ballots received after the closing date will not be counted.
   6. In the event of an equality of votes there will not be a second ballot. For the appointment of members of the RRDF Executive Committee, the Chair or the Vice-Chair, the incumbent Chair will have the deciding vote.
   7. The result of all elections will be advised to the RRDF members as soon as is practicable and will be published on the RRDF website.
   8. The accidental omission to seek expressions of interest from, or provide a ballot to, any person entitled to receive them will not invalidate any election. 
6. Representation on other boards and committees
   1. The RRDF Executive Committee members will appoint one of their number to serve on the:
      1. Specialty Training Board (should normally be the Chair
      2. Board of Faculty (should normally be the Vice-Chair)
      3. Scientific Programme Committee
   2. The RRDF Executive Committee members will appoint representatives for other College committee, sub-committees and working parties etc (including the Audit Sub-Committee and the Academic Committee) when invited to so do and as considered appropriate by the RRDF Executive Committee.
   3. College board and sub-committee representatives will serve for a period of two years, or for as long as their term of office on the RRDF if shorter and shall be eligible for re-election on a yearly basis thereafter for the duration of their term of office on the RRDF.
7. Meetings
   1. Frequency
      (a) The RRDF Executive Committee will each meet twice a year.
      (b) The RRDF Executive Committee may be convened to meet at other times by the Chair, Vice-Chair.
      (c) An agenda and relevant supporting papers will be circulated to the expected attendees not less than one week before the meeting date.
   2. Voting Rights
      (a) RRDF members will each have one vote.
      (b) If a representative is unable to attend a RRDF meeting, they may appoint another member of their training scheme (or another less than full time trainee or academic trainee in the case of the representative of the less than full time trainees or the academic trainees) to attend in their place. The proxy will have the same voting rights. The appointment of a proxy must be notified to the RRDF coordinator as far in advance of the meeting as possible.
   3. Attendance and Quorum
      (a) The RRDF coordinator will maintain records of attendance.
      (b) If a representative of the RRDF Executive Committee member misses two consecutive meetings the Chair will contact the representative or member to ask for an explanation and future intentions. In the absence of a satisfactory reply, a temporary replacement may be appointed. The formal process to appoint a permanent replacement will be initiated at the earliest opportunity.
      (c) At meetings of the RRDF Executive Committee, three members shall form a quorum.
8. Powers
   1. Each appointed RRDF member will be able to propose changes to the composition, method of election and powers of the RRDF. Such proposals must be discussed and agreed in principle at a RRDF meeting and then agreed by the majority of those attending a subsequent meeting of the Forum. Changes thus agreed shall be presented to the Specialty Training Board for ratification before taking effect.
   2. If a RRDF representative or Executive Committee Member proves unable to carry out the necessary work of the Forum and/or has a poor attendance record, the Executive shall have the power to initiate the process to appoint a replacement as laid out above.
   3. Training programme representatives will be responsible for informing the Medical Director, Education and Training for the Faculty of Clinical Radiology about any situation that might necessitate further investigation to address serious inadequacies in training. This should have been discussed initially with the head of the training scheme and LETB/deanery and local solutions sought. Robust documentary evidence will need to be provided.

Amended: April 2012