Programme Governance

Programme Governance

The BST Ophthalmology Programme is overseen by the designated Training Programme Directors, with support from Educational Supervisors and relevant departmental trainers.  Governance arrangements are intended to ensure that training remains structured, fair, transparent and aligned with both service requirements and the expected standards of postgraduate ophthalmology training.

Programme governance includes oversight of trainee progression, educational quality, assessment, supervision and trainee support. This includes:

• Annual trainee review, with formal consideration of overall progress, achievement of training outcomes and readiness to advance to the next stage of training.

• Review of clinical progression, including development of clinical knowledge, examination skills, decision-making, procedural competence and increasing levels of responsibility.

• Portfolio and logbook review, to ensure that trainees are documenting sufficient breadth and depth of clinical exposure, workplace-based assessments, learning activities, reflective practice and procedural experience.

• Assessment of training requirements, including identification of any areas in which additional clinical exposure, supervision or targeted learning may be required.

• Remediation and additional support where required, using an individualised and supportive approach with clear objectives, agreed actions and appropriate review.

• Support for trainee wellbeing, including access to Educational Supervisors and Training Programme Directors for discussion of workload, professional development, training difficulties and other concerns affecting progression.

• Review of supervisor feedback and training quality, helping to identify areas of strength as well as opportunities to improve the trainee experience.

• Periodic review of programme standards, curriculum delivery, assessment processes and training opportunities to ensure that the programme remains relevant and fit for purpose.

Trainee progression decisions should be based on multiple sources of evidence rather than any single assessment. These may include supervisor reports, workplace-based assessments, clinical performance, procedural logbooks, teaching and academic activities, portfolio evidence and professional conduct.

Where concerns regarding progression are identified, these should be discussed with the trainee at an early stage. A clear educational plan should be developed, including the areas requiring improvement, the support to be provided, expected outcomes and an appropriate timeframe for reassessment.

The programme should also undergo periodic internal review to ensure continued alignment with the clinical needs of the Brunei healthcare service, developments in ophthalmic practice and evolving international principles of postgraduate ophthalmology education. This allows the curriculum and training structure to develop over time while maintaining consistent standards of supervision, assessment and patient safety.

The overall aim of programme governance is to ensure that trainees progress through a supportive, accountable and educationally robust training environment, while maintaining high standards of clinical care and preparing doctors for increasingly independent ophthalmic practice.