What is PLASTA?

PLASTA is the UK’s Plastic Surgery Trainee Association. The mission of PLASTA is to ensure that trainees across the country have fair and equal opportunities to maximise their training in order to become well rounded and successful Consultant Plastic Surgeons.

The primary aim of our organisation is the continual improvement of Plastic Surgical Training in the British Isles.

PLASTA is composed of two central committees that work in tandem to improve grassroots surgical trainee experience. The aim of the Core Committee is to respond to regional issues with training and engage with the larger central bodies for surgery within the United Kingdom to advocate on the behalf of trainees.

The Regional Representatives are the other half of the coin. They ensure that our organisation understands the regional variations in training, as well as keeping abreast of how these fit into the national objective of obtaining CCT. The Regional Representatives, both as individuals and as a group instruct the Core Committee on organisational direction.

This tandem approach ensures that PLASTA remains relevant to its trainees with eyes both on the immediate concerns of its members and the horizons and future of training.

The committees works closely with the BAPRAS and SAC council to ensure transparency, equality and fairness in training. Representatives from PLASTA sit in BAPRAS council meetings, SAC meetings, FRCS(PLast) meetings, BAAPS meetings, and BSSH meetings, ASIT meetings, while PLASTA reps have also been present at ST3 National Selection Interviews.

In addition to our advocacy role, PLASTA aims to provide a forum for discussion and advertisement of courses, conferences, educational material and innovative adjuncts to training.

Our Constitution

(updated Jan 2020)

This is the PLASTA Constitution.

Name

The name of the association shall be “Plastic Surgery Training Association (PLASTA)”.

Objectives

To promote and improve the standards of Burns, Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery training in the United Kingdom and to represent the interests of Trainee Plastic Surgeons in the UK.

Membership

Full membership is open to those who are, at the time of application, a trainee in an SAC-recognised training post in Burns & Plastic Surgery in the British Isles or are post-CCT trainees. Full membership is also open to registrars in non-training posts such as clinical fellowships, and research or other allied endeavours such as teaching posts.

Junior and student membership aims to encourage participation and engagement for those early in their career with an interest in plastic surgery. Junior membership is open to all NHS trainees from graduation onwards in any branch of medical practice. Student Membership is open to anyone enrolled in a recognised UK Medical School.

Further applications may be considered at the discretion of the executive committee.

Meetings

There shall be an Annual General Meeting.

Business Meetings may be held on other occasions decided by the Committee.

The President shall call a Special Business Meeting within 28 days of receiving a request, signed by no fewer than thirty members specifying the nature of the business.

Six Members shall form a quorum at Business Meetings.

In case of a tied vote the PLASTA President’s vote will be casting.

PLASTA Committee and Executive Committee

PLASTA shall consist of three organisation components:

The Main Committee: Comprising a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer (including Sponsorship), SAC representative, Operations Lead, Communications Lead, Examinations representative, Fellowship representative, Research representative, ASiT Representative, BSSH representative, BBA representative, BAAPS representative and the Immediate Past President.*, **

The Regional Committee: Comprising representatives from each national training deanery, to be co-chaired by the President and Vice President.

The Communications Subcommittee: Comprising of three representatives in addition to the Communications Lead. As a subcommittee, they will cover the PLASTA monthly newsletter, the updates and maintenance of the website and the PLASTA social media accounts (to include but not be limited to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook).

The Operational Subcommittee: Comprising of three representatives in addition to the Operations Lead. As a subcommittee, they will organise/coordinate PLASTA events and the PLASTA webinar series for the year of their tenure.

The Junior Subcommittee: Comprising of three representatives, namely one each to represent Core Trainees, Foundation Year trainees, and Medical Students.

* The Main committee reserves the right with a majority vote to construct additional positions based on membership need & demand and/or approve appointments of non-trainee members.

** Until amendment to the constitution the committee will put out to nomination & election for trainees who are interested in investigating, establishing and maintaining positions & links on key subspecialty society & BAPRAS committees. The representation of subspecialties will therefore be subject to change, and depend on trainees constructing these relationships & positions.

In the event of illness or to facilitate organisational function members of the committee can be elected to the executive.

Any Trainee (with a national training number) member is eligible to run for an Executive committee position. Non-trainees, Core trainees, Foundation Trainees and Medical Students are eligible to run for Subcommittee positions. Each of the Junior Subcommittee positions must be filled by a trainee of the corresponding grade, i.e., only trainees in a recognised UK Core Training programme are eligible to apply for the Core Trainee representative role, only trainees in a recognised UK Foundation Training programme are eligible to apply for the Foundation Year representative role, and only medical students from a UK Medical School are eligible to apply for the Medical Student representative role.

In the event of a gapped position, through maternity/paternity leave/ill health, the committee member should nominate another committee member(s) to take over their duties. Where possible, at least 8 weeks’ notice must be given.

The PLASTA Executive Committee members and Regional representatives shall be elected annually by a majority vote to be held via an online polling system following hustings which may shall be held via an online platform (such as Zoom). Terms of Office shall start on January 1st following the election and continue until December 31st of the same year. Subcommittee posts will be elected by the PLASTA Executive Committee members by majority vote once the Executive Committee has been elected into post.

Regional and Subspecialty committee posts may be held for two years at the discretion of the executive committee. The President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary shall serve for one year unless extension to office is voted by majority of members present at the Annual General Meeting.

The President shall preside at Committee meetings; in their absence the Vice President shall deputise. If the President ceases to hold office during the term of the Committee the Vice President shall assume office. The proceedings of Committee meetings shall be minuted by the Secretary (or a nominated deputy).

Six voting members shall form a quorum at Executive Committee meetings.

The PLASTA Committee shall have the power to request the resignation of any member deemed by them to have been guilty of conduct contrary to the interests of the Association. Any member whose resignation is requested by the committee shall be suspended until the next business meeting when they shall have the right to appeal and enter a defence. The committee shall state the reasons for suspension and the majority vote of the members at that business meeting shall be final.

The PLASTA Committee shall have the power to amend the composition of its own Committee. Amendments shall be notified at the Annual General Meeting and the majority vote of the members at that meeting shall be final.

The PLASTA Committee shall have the power to co-opt anyone who may assist in their work to attend or represent the Committee. Co-opted members of the Executive shall not have voting rights.

A newly elected committee shall have the right, at their discretion, to ask the outgoing President to remain on the Executive Committee for a further one year in the post of ‘Past President’, to offer support and advice to the new committee.

Subscriptions and finances

The committee shall determine subscriptions and changes shall be approved by a majority vote at a business meeting. Until it is deemed appropriate membership shall remain free to all current and future members of the association.

The financial year shall extend from 1st January to 31st December inclusive. The Treasurer shall be responsible for producing an annual report of the finances to the Annual General Meeting.

The Treasurer, Secretary, President & Vice President shall be authorised signatories for the Associations finances. No member shall incur any expense on behalf of the Association without the written authority of an Officer.

Alteration of rules

The Constitution and Rules shall only be altered by a vote of at least two-thirds of those members present at a Business Meeting. The Secretary shall despatch notice of every proposed alteration to all members not less than fourteen days before than the date of the meeting. Six Members of the Executive Committee shall form a quorum at a meeting convened to alter the Constitution and Rules of the Association.

About PLASTA