Standing Northern Ireland Committee

CONSTITUTION OF THE STANDING NORTHERN IRELAND COMMITTEE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGISTS

TERMS OF REFERENCE
The Standing Northern Ireland Committee (the Committee) will represent The Royal College of Radiologists in Northern Ireland ensuring that appropriate College and Faculty matters are communicated to and discussed with Northern Ireland Clinical Radiologists and Northern Ireland Clinical Oncologists.  It will provide a forum for discussion to enable the views of Northern Ireland Clinical Radiologists and a means for the views of Northern Ireland Clinical Oncologists to be conveyed to the appropriate Board of The Royal College of Radiologists.

The Committee will provide advice to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for Northern Ireland, such advice to be within the terms of reference set by The Royal College of Radiologists and consistent with The Royal College of Radiologists’ policy overall.

The Committee will be responsible to the Council through the Boards of the Faculties.

MEMBERSHIP
The Chairman of the Standing Northern Ireland Committee will be a Fellow usually a Clinical Radiologist practising in Northern Ireland and will be elected by ballot of the Fellows and members practising in Northern Ireland.

The Secretary of the Standing Northern Ireland Committee will be a Fellow usually a Clinical Radiologist practising in Northern Ireland and will be selected by the Committee members.

One member of the Committee in Clinical Radiology, nominated by the Committee, and the elected member of the Committee in Clinical Oncology will be co-opted on to the Board of the appropriate Faculty. 

The two office bearers will normally serve for a period of four years and will not be eligible for immediate re-election.  Normally the Chairman and Secretary will not retire at the same time.

Other Members of the Committee will be:

1. The President of The Royal College of Radiologists, ex-officio.
2. The Deans of the Faculties of The Royal College of Radiologists, ex-officio.
3. The Clinical Radiology and Clinical Oncology Regional Postgraduate Education Advisers of The Royal College of Radiologists in Northern Ireland, ex-officio.
4. The RCR Clinical Radiology Regional Chairman – ex officio - for the duration of their term of office as Regional Chairman.
5. A member of the Oncology Registrars' Forum and a member of the Junior Radiologists' Forum, each ex officio and each to be practising in Northern Ireland.
6. The President of the Ulster Radiological Society, ex-officio.
7. Seven elected members (six clinical radiologists, one clinical oncologist) unless the Clinical Radiology Regional Postgraduate Education Advisor of the Royal College is a Belfast Trust member, in which case the total number of elected clinical radiologists will be reduced to five.  The elected members will be Fellows or members of The Royal College of Radiologists practising in Northern Ireland.  The six Clinical Radiologists will be elected by Fellows and members of their Faculty in each of the five Trusts in Northern Ireland to represent Clinical Radiologists in those Trusts as follows:
   (a) One member from the Northern Trust.
   (b) One member from the Western Trust.
   (c) One member from the Southern Trust.
   (d) Two members from the Belfast Trust.  If the Regional Postgraduate Education Adviser is from the Belfast Trust then only one Clinical Radiology member would be elected for this Trust.
   (e) One member from the South Eastern Trust.
   The Clinical Oncology member will be elected to represent all Clinical Oncologists in Northern Ireland by ballot of the Fellows and members in the Faculty of Clinical Oncology of The Royal College of Radiologists practising in Northern Ireland.
   Elected members will serve for a period of three years and will retire at the time of the Annual General Meeting of The Royal College of Radiologists.  A member retiring from the committee is not normally eligible for re-election until a period of one year has elapsed.  Other members of the Committee will complete their period of service when their membership of the respective committee or office within The Royal College of Radiologists or Ulster Radiological Society is terminated.
8. Vacancies which arise in the elected membership midterm will be filled by a Clinical Radiologist practising in the relevant Trust as described above or by a Clinical Oncologist as appropriate and will be nominated by the Committee. This will be for the period until the next College Annual General Meeting, during which period an election for the seat should be held for which the person so nominated may choose to stand.
9. The Committee may co-opt up to three members at any one time to advise it on specific issues.  Such members may be co-opted for up to one year in the first instance and thereafter may be co-opted for a further period.  Co-opted members will have the same rights and privileges as elected members except that they will not have voting rights.
10. Appropriate individuals may be invited to attend a meeting for discussion of a particular issue where the Committee considered their advice would be of value.  Their attendance would not accord them voting rights.

DATES OF MEETINGS
Meetings will be held at least three times a year, the dates of which will be agreed with The Royal College of Radiologists.  Normally, these would be held not less than two weeks before a Faculty Board meeting of the College.

Extraordinary Meetings may be called at the request of the Council of The Royal College of Radiologists or at the written request of five members of the Standing Northern Ireland Committee.

The Agenda for meetings will be prepared by the Chairman and Secretary of the Standing Northern Ireland Committee.  Notice of the dates of meetings, together with the agenda, will be circulated to members at least two weeks prior to the next meeting.

RECORD OF MEETINGS
The Secretary of the Standing Northern Ireland Committee will be responsible for recording of procedures and preparation of minutes.  The unconfirmed minutes of the Standing Northern Ireland Committee will be presented to the next available meeting of the Boards of Faculties of The Royal College of Radiologists.

All appropriate recommendations of the Standing Northern Ireland Committee will be submitted to the appropriate Board of the Faculty of The Royal College of Radiologists for their consideration and approval.

The unconfirmed minutes will be submitted for their approval at the next meeting of the Standing Northern Ireland Committee.

The minutes of the Boards of Faculties of Clinical Radiology and Clinical Oncology will be circulated to the Standing Northern Ireland Committee.

AMENDMENTS
Amendments to this constitution can be made by the Council of The Royal College of Radiologists acting on its own behalf or upon the recommendation of the Standing Committee.

Approved by Council: 18 July 2008