CNWL’s Improvement Academy team poster awarded First Place at the Joint Foundation Sharing Best Practice Event

We’re delighted to share that CNWL’s Improvement Academy team have been awarded first place for their poster presentation at the Joint Foundation Sharing Best Practice Event. The event was organised by Medical Education Leaders UK and held at the Macdonald Burlington Hotel, Birmingham on 26 March 2025.

Their project, titled “Elevating Interest and Expertise: Foundation Year Psychiatry Development Program (CNWL),” showcased a bespoke teaching initiative designed to enhance the experience and learning of foundation year (FY) doctors during psychiatry placements across Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL).

Dr Kallpana Dhas, CNWL Medical Education and Quality Improvement Fellow shares more about the project below.

Developed originally by Dr Hassan Mallick – an enthusiastic ST6 psychiatry trainee with a special interest in medical education, the programme has been sustained and expanded under my leadership as the Medical Education and Quality Improvement Fellow, and supported by Dr Ghadeer ElRefaey – another enthusiastic core psychiatry trainee in the Trust. Its future is secure through this fellowship role, with the next postholder set to continue iterative improvement through ongoing PDSA cycles.

What Makes This Project Stand Out?

Co-Design and Co-Production:

We prioritised collaborative development with both FY doctors and service users. Foundation trainees contributed directly by voting for their preferred topics – our "Flexi Slots" – ensuring the curriculum addressed their learning needs. In the most recent cohort, "Modern Dating and Psychology" topped the vote and became a session.

In a previous (Winter 2024) cohort, a Flexi Slot session was designed and delivered entirely by two enthusiastic FY doctors – Dr Nikita Choudhary and Dr Isobel Atkinson, who developed a simulation-based workshop aimed at boosting foundation doctors’ confidence in psychiatric consultations. This innovative session tackled common communication challenges and was extremely well-received.

As a further testament to its impact, Dr Choudhary also presented this project as a separate poster at the same Best Practice Event and was awarded the second place prize!

Accessibility via Hybrid Teaching:

Recognising the vast geography of CNWL (spanning inner and outer London boroughs), we delivered sessions in a hybrid format. Trainees in inner borough placements attended sessions in person at St Charles Hospital, while those based further out could join remotely – maximising engagement and inclusivity across all six trust sites.

Impact and Outcomes:

The programme has delivered demonstrable improvements across all measured domains, including a 34% increase in interest in psychiatry as a career, and marked improvements in confidence, understanding of the MDT, and awareness of mental health stigma. Our average satisfaction rate has been an impressive 84–85%.

Sustainability and Spread:

Now embedded across the trust, the programme has grown from serving 13 trainees across 3 sites to 26 across all 6. Co-production with service users has expanded to include partnerships with the CNWL Recovery College, embedding lived experience into regular teaching.

This award recognises not just the content of our programme, but the values that underpin it: equity, co-design, accessibility, sustainability, and continuous improvement. We’re currently working on writing up our findings for peer-reviewed publication – and hope this project inspires similar initiatives elsewhere.