Faculty Officers

• Dr Karen O'Reilly - Joint Chair and Council Representative
• Professor Johnathon Lyon-Maris - Joint Chair and Council Representative
• Dr Sunil Bhanot - Provost
• Dr Pritti Aggarwal - Vice Chair
• Dr Ben Rusholme - Honorary Secretary

Faculty Board members

• Dr Colinette Margerison
• Dr Sonia Barros D'Sa
• Dr Jonathan Rial
• Dr Ben Rusholme
• Dr Maryanna Taverner
• Dr Rebecca Piper
• Dr Emma Reinhold
• Dr Barbara Barton
• Samantha Scallan
• Dr Laura Edwards
• Dr Aimen Maksoud
• Dr Gabriel Sherliker
• Dr Farhana Ahmed
• Dr Mikalai Shchatsinka
• Dr Nina Dela Cruz
• Dr Mostafa Abdallah
• Dr Rachel Gray
• Dr Irbaz Khan
• Dr Maham Khalid
• Dr Cheska Ball

RCGP Wessex Faculty George Swift Bursary scheme

• Wessex Faculty are offering a bursary of up to £2500 per individual to any Wessex RCGP member including GP registrars to undertake a postgraduate training programme leading to a recognised qualification in a specialised area of clinical or medical education practice.
• Email: wessex@rcgp.org.uk.

Upcoming RCGP Events

• RCGP Annual Conference: 29-30 October 2026, Glasgow, Scotland https://www.rcgpac.org.uk/.
• Wessex Faculty IMG GPs Together: 8 July 2026 online
• RCGP Wessex Faculty Board Meetings: four a year at 7pm.
• Wessex GP Registrar Committee meeting: 15 July 2026 7:15-9:15 pm (if interested to observe please email wessexgpreg@gmail.com).
• RCGP Wessex Winter Ball and awards evening: 21 November 2026, booking details to follow.
• 100+ RCGP F2F/online events

Applied Knowledge Test, AKT

• The AKT is the cornerstone of the MRCGP tripos exam to qualify as a GP, and sits alongside the SCA and the WBPA (workplace-based assessments). 4 sittings/year (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct).
• Registrars in Wessex are encouraged to investigate any potential learning difference. If you need to access reasonable adjustments quickly, it may be more timely to get private educational assessment.

Simulated Consultation Assessment, SCA

• The SCA has had a successful year of runs. There are 9 sittings a year, reservable in advance, £1207 fee, 6 attempts allowed as of those started in Aug 2023, with consideration for reasonable adjustments. Technical completion rate of the exam remains excellent, with provision of re-runs of stations if required as a back-up.

Revision Resources

• Wessex Deanery help registrars with exam preparation, reimbursing costs of 1 AKT and 1 SCA course. Courses are on the RCGP website, ask your patch office for repayment of one course per exam.
• Included in membership: GP Self Test via RCGP website for AKT preparation. SCA specific resources are also on the website. There are sufficient SCA preparation courses giving excellent advice on how to approach the SCA exam and how to structure SCA cases.
• The InnovAiT journal has articles for AKT revision and test questions, accessed through RCGP homepage.

Travel expenses and tax deductible expenses

• Doctors working in a GP practice setting who are using their own vehicle on the expectation that home visits may be required are reimbursed for the cost of mileage from home to principal place of work (28 p/mile) and for home visit mileage (56 p/mile). Business car insurance is required. Guidance.
• Remember exam fees, memberships, courses and other expenses are tax deductible, more information at

Tier 2 visa extension and sponsorship

• The 3-year training visa can be extended by 4 months. You will need to apply if CoS issued before September 2023, for later starters 4-months extension should be applied automatically. You will also need to apply for any further visa extensions if training is further extended.
• Wessex LMC website has compiled a list of Practices with a licence for Sponsored Visas. We strongly encourage all ST3 trainees with sponsored visas plan well in advance.

General Practice Fellowship Programme after CCT

• Funded fellowships are available after CCT, although provision across Wessex is varied.
• ICBs hold the funding for these new-to-practice fellowships, you are advised to contact them directly for information.
• GP School fellowships are also available, the contact is Katie Collins, who is also IMG Lead for Wessex.
• Dorset fellowships are now available too or email traininghub@ourdorset.nhs.uk

The National Performers List and GMC Specialist Register

• RCGP and PCSE advise applying to be on the performer’s list for GP 3-6 months prior to CCT.
• The final ARCP is gateway to CCT, registration with the RCGP and the GMC Specialist Register with the latter incurring application fee of £516.

Wessex First5

• For those trainees planning to stay in Wessex post-CCT, please consider joining the Wessex First5 Community either through the Facebook group or email wessex@rcgp.org.uk to join.
• Our First5 Reps are Rebecca Piper and Maryanna Tavener.

BMA update

• BMA Junior Doctors 2016 Contract for Clear Guidance
• ST1-ST3 GP registrars are entitled to 4hrs FTE of self-directed learning time in hospital and in GP.
• Most recent June round of Resident doctors strikes has been called off following last minute offer from the Government.

Driving Licences

• A valid driving licence is expected of GP Registrars, rural areas placements may require commuting by car. International driving licences are valid for a year, so plan for a UK driving test if needed.

Wellbeing Support

• Mental health and wellbeing support is available via Hampshire and Isle of Wight Mental health hub.
• There is financial strain on all in the current climate and would like to share the following resources for anyone struggling.

Supported Return to Training

• Wessex provides a return to training mentorship scheme for trainees who have been out of training for more than 3 months, for any reason.
• There are numerous valuable resources available. Please contact: SuppoRTT.wx@hee.nhs.uk with questions or if interested in the service.
• Next Wessex GP Registrar Committee meeting:
• 15 July 2026 7:15-9:15 pm, provisionally planned to be run face to face and online from venue in Portsmouth, details to follow.
• If there are any issues you would like to be raised for discussion, please do not hesitate to contact your local rep.
• If you are interested in becoming a rep, please reach out!

Contacts and guidance

The contact details for the offices of our four Wessex patches are found on the Wessex GP School website, along with other helpful guidance.

Mid-Wessex Patch

Basingstoke

• Misbah Shafique: Misbah.shafique@doctors.org.uk

Salisbury

• Sarah Forest: sarah.forest@nhs.net

Winchester

• Chris Mcquitty. Contact: chrismcquitty@gmail.com
• Mikalai Shchatsinka (Vice-Chair). Contact: mikalai.shchatsinka@gmail.com
• Aazzalrahman Alghoul. Contact: aazzalrahman@gmail.com

Dorset Patch

Poole / Bournemouth

• Aukse Vijeikyte. Contact: a.vijeikyte@nhs.net

Dorchester

• Kenneth Onwuachu. Contact: kennethonwuachu@gmail.com

Portsmouth and IOW Patch

Portsmouth

• Marc Stössel. Contact: marc.stoessel@bluewin.ch
• Dina Elbanhawy. Contact: dina.elbanhawy@nhs.net

IOW

• Mercy Imaro. Contact: mercy.imaro@nhs.net

Southampton and Jersey Patch

Southampton

• Stephanie Sioufi. Contact: stephanie.sioufi@nhs.net
• May Claridge. Contact: may.claridge@nhs.net Jersey
• Cameron Elsworth. Contact: elsworthcameron@gmail.com

Representatives (Wessex)

• IMG Rep: Farhana Ahmed (Co-Chair) Contact: ahmed.farhana011@gmail.com
• BMA Rep: Aimen Maksoud (Co-Chair) Contact: aimenmaksoud@me.com
• First5 Rep: Maryanna Tavener Contact: maryanna.tavener@nhs.net