HIVTA Constitution

 

This organisation shall be called “HIV Trainee Association” or abbreviated to ‘HIVTA’.

Those chosen to collectively represent HIVTA shall be referred to as the ‘Committee’.

 

Aims & Objectives of HIVTA

The primary aim of this organisation is to represent the educational interests of future HIV clinicians (specialist trainees in Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) & Infectious Diseases (ID))

Aims

  • To educate future HIV clinicians supplementary to current national training programmes
  • To facilitate cross-specialty networking of early career ID and GUM physicians
  • To promote national research collaborations and opportunities

Objectives

  • Provide twice yearly in-person workshops on varied topics related to HIV medicine.
  • Maintain an online repository accessible by password for members to access previous archived workshop content.
  • Build relationships with national organisations relevant to HIV medicine (BHIVA, BASHH, STASHH, BIA).
  • Provide a forum for members to discuss training and the preparation in becoming consultants.

 

Membership of HIVTA

Members should be registered health care professionals (eg. GMC, NMC, HCPC) who have registered for membership on the website.

Physicians members should be a speciality trainee in Genitourinary Medicine (GUM), Infectious Diseases (ID) or General Internal Medicine (GIM) or have an interest in these specialities at Foundation Year 2 or Internal Medicine Training level, or be a SAS Dr, GP trainee or GP with a special interest.

Membership should terminate following Consultant appointment.

Membership of HIVTA is free (no membership fee), workshops are provided by HIVTA at no cost to members.

 

Management of HIVTA

This management of HIVTA shall be entrusted to the ‘Committee’ made up of elected HIVTA members.

The committee shall elect a ‘Chairperson’ to lead the committee as laid out below.

HIVTA members do not possess voting rights on the management of the organisation unless elected to the committee according to procedures laid out below.

Election of chairperson

Candidates will be proposed from within the committee and members will be notified in advance of nominations and asked to vote. In the event of a tie, the out-going chairperson will be authorised to use their casting vote. A chairperson will serve for a minimum of one year. The longest serving time for chairperson is to be two years. A vice chairperson can also be elected by the same process to assist the chairperson in the role. The same election process and serving time restrictions apply to the vice chairperson as to the chairperson.

Election of committee

Applications for vacant posts will be sought in advance by advertisements in the HIVTA newsletter, via email to HIVTA members, or at HIVTA workshops. New committee members can be sought at any time of the year if required. A 100-word summary of intention to join the committee will be submitted by applicants and discussed at a committee meeting. Following this, votes will be cast by the committee via a ballot.

The committee should represent, where possible, all regions and years of educational training from ST4+. In special circumstances a pre-specialty doctor can be elected to the committee.

A committee member, on taking up the post, should:

  1. undertake to attend at least two committee meetings and one of the workshops over the course of the year. If the member fails to meet this requirement, their position on the committee could be terminated.
  2. the length of service on the committee is a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of 5 years, or until CCT, whichever comes first.
  3. committee members should be given the opportunity to exchange roles during their committee service, depending on committee requirements.

Secretariat

The Association will ensure an external secretariat is appointed at all times, to be a single point of access to the committee.  They will ensure adequate minute documentation, assist with administrative tasks, and provide additional scrutiny of how funds are spent.

Internal accounts will be audited by an external accountant annually.

 

Rules of Procedure

  1. The minimum number of members on the committee shall be 8
  2. The number of committee members necessary for a quorum shall be 4
  3. If quorum cannot be reached, voting may be conducted electronically by contacting all committee members
  4. The committee shall meet at least four times per year

 

AGM

There will be an Annual General Meeting every Spring, to review the associations activities over the previous 12 months.

 

 

Constitution updated and published July 2024