The RCPsych Article of the Month for June is from BJPsych Bulletin and is entitled ‘The Parliamentary Scholar Scheme: a way to engage doctors in healthcare policy and politics’ by Jen Perry, Paul Lomax, Fiona Taylor, Susan Howson and Kathleen McCurdy.

In 2017 when the 5 of us began the Parliamentary Scholar Programme we had some awareness of politics and its interaction with healthcare. During our training the Health and Social Care Act had arrived, there were pension changes, and finally the junior doctor contract with accompanying industrial action and debate around the evidence base for political decisions. However, for trainees in the patient facing specialty of Psychiatry, medical politics could feel like something that was discussed, or more likely complained about, after you first had done your ‘proper job’ which was seeing patients and second completed the necessary work to progress to the next rung of the training ladder.

The programme showed us the necessity of getting clinical information and evidence up to the decision makers but also the real complexities in doing so, the overwhelming shadow of negotiating Brexit being one of the many in our time there. There is a big desire from decision makers to get an insight into the real world workings of healthcare on the frontline; they want to hear the stories of professionals and patients particularly from groups who may otherwise be unheard. These decision makers want people to help them to make the ‘right’ decisions. However, in reality there are so many competing interests that it requires strategic planning, toleration of failure, but probably most importantly a passion for the subject matter to be able to navigate this political world.

During our time in Parliament we were able to see first-hand how the College and its various Faculties influence health policy. We are very grateful to the College, and in particular the Communications department, both for the opportunity to participate in the scheme and the practical help we received once we got started. The members of the House of Lords we were paired with were extremely welcoming. Their knowledge of the workings of Parliament, and the complex geography of the place, was invaluable. It may seem a small thing but we cannot exaggerate how hard it is to navigate around the myriad of meeting rooms in a building which is 150 years old!

We hope this rolling programme will allow other trainees to have a similar learning experience and to be able to share this with colleagues. It helps mental healthcare enormously when we, as psychiatrists on the ground, can become more politically literate and are able to inform and influence those that make policy decisions.

Why I chose this article
Could there ever be a paper more apt for the times. As a profession we must ensure that patients’ voices are heard loud and clear within the halls of power. Perry and colleagues describe how as higher trainees they used their special interest session to advise and assist peers in the Other House scrutinise and amend mental health policy. The authors conducted research for peers which influenced speeches and debates on major Bills proposed by the government. Amid the current clamour these skills are in more need than ever to ensure mental health is front and centre as the COVID-19 crisis unfolds.

Norman Poole, Editor-in-Chief, BJPsych Bulletin

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