The Northern Ireland Council for Postgraduate Medical Education

WHILST in Northern Ireland arrangements for postgraduate training were developed through the Postgraduate Board of the Medical Faculty as early as 1965, a great stimulus to further development in postgraduate training was given by the publication of the Report of the Royal Commission on Medical education. Refresher courses for general practitioners were already well developed, and training committees for the surgical and anaesthetic specialists had already reached a high standard of competence. However, with the report of the Todd Commission it became obvious that a much broader approach to postgraduate education was necessary. The Royal Commission differentiated between 'academic' and 'professional' training and recommended that while the former was a proper charge on the universities the latter should be paid for by the National Health Service. Further, with the development of more and more specialisation within the hospital services, it became apparent that the young graduate required more