The Society will be known as the British Neurosurgical Trainees’ Association (BNTA)
2. Status
The BNTA will be recognised by the Society of British Neurological Surgeons (SBNS); all members of the BNTA will be eligible as associate members of the society.
3. The Aims of the Society will be:
a. To bring together neurosurgical trainees in the UK and Ireland
b. To hold a business meeting at the same time as the SBNS Business Meeting, twice a year at the SBNS Scientific Meetings, where issues regarding neurosurgical training can be discussed.
c. To provide a forum for discussion of issues regarding neurosurgical training in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
d. To provide the SBNS with representation when issues regarding neurosurgical training are under discussion.
4. Membership
Membership will be open to all neurosurgical trainees in the UK and Ireland. This will include all ST type trainees and FTSTAs with a declared neurosurgical career path and those trainees in neurosurgical research posts with a declared neurosurgical career path. It will include all trainees in a research or fellowship post with a declared neurosurgical career path. It will not include Foundation Year doctors in neurosurgery. The non-run through trainees will have to be nominated by an existing member to be eligible to join. All members will be entitled to join the BNTA mailing list. The total membership of the BNTA will be reviewed at least annually and the mailing list updated as required. Membership will cease when the requirements as above cease to apply, or within 6 months of starting a substantive consultant appointment.
5. Officers and representatives of the group
The group will be administered by a Chairman who will be nominated by the Members of the BNTA and will have a two-year term of office. The Chairman will represent the trainees by holding the trainees’ position on the SBNS Council. The Chairman will chair the BNTA business meetings.
The Chairman will be assisted by a Secretary who will be the organiser of the agenda for the business meetings of the group, and be responsible for elections.
The group will have a treasurer with responsibility for the administration of the BNTA accounts, and making account available to the membership and if required the SBNS Council.
Representatives will be elected from the membership to represent trainees at the SAC in Neurosurgery, ASiT (2 representatives), a representative to the Academic and Research Committee of the SBNS, a representative to the ISCB, an EANS representative and an informatics representative.
All of the positions as above will be democratically elected via a confidential on line method, to allow all the potential electorate to vote (this method may be reviewed as required). The elected individual will be the one with the most votes within a specified voting period. The period of office will be a maximum of two years; unless no successor is nominated in which case a maximum of a further six months in office can be held so long as the officer is still eligible to be a member of the BNTA.
Only trainees on a run through training programme in neurosurgery will be eligible to stand as an officer of the BNTA.
6. Changes to the constitution
Changes to the constitution will require a general meeting of the BNTA with a minimum of 50 members present and a majority of 2/3 required to pass any proposed change. This will be permissible via distance voting (postal/email) but the minimum quorum remains.
7. Fees
There are no membership fees but this will be reviewed as appropriate.
