Everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask!
- What is this Forum all about?
The Forum is the highlight of the year for EFPT. It is an opportunity for delegates from each of the member countries to get together to plan the year ahead, work on joint projects and strengthen our network. It involves several set activities, including the General Assembly, scientific presentations, clinics visits, working group sessions and, perhaps most importantly of all, the International Reception!
- When is the Forum?
The Forum is running from the 21st to the 25th of July 2018 in Bristol, Southwest England, UK. There will also be an optional psychotherapy training day on 26th July.
- When should I arrive?
We recommend arriving on Friday 20th July ready for the optional city visits on Saturday morning. The Forum officially starts at 5pm on Saturday 21st July and finishes at 5pm on Wednesday 25th July. Please make sure that you are able to stay for the whole day on Wednesday for the full General Assembly. We will have an optional farewell meal on Wednesday night, which we encourage you to stay for.
- Where is it?
The Forum takes place at Wills Hall Conference Centre at the University of Bristol. The address is: Wills Hall, Parrys Lane, Bristol, BS9 1AE, UK.
Here is the link for Google Maps.
Here is information about the venue.
- Will I need a visa to enter the UK?
The Forum will take place before Brexit happens and so the UK will still be part of the European Union at that time. If you are coming from an EU country, then you should not need a visa. Visitors from some countries outside the European Union will need a visa to enter the UK. You are advised to find out the situation that applies to you and make any necessary applications as soon as possible. Information is available here. A letter of invitation and support can be provided on request. If you need a letter, then please contact us as soon as possible at efptbristol2018@gmail.com, stating ‘Letter of Invitation’ as the subject.
- How do I register?
Registration is scheduled to open in late March and will close at midnight on Sunday 27th May. If you are interested in registering please complete an expression of interest and then we will contact you when registration is open. Please note that there will be a priority booking period for NTA delegates until 6th May. The registration link will be sent out to you directly. Please note that you will need to pay for the delegate fees, accommodation and any optional extras at that point, so please plan accordingly.
- How much will the Forum cost me?
To attend the Forum, you need to pay the delegate fee which varies from country to country. Please see here for fees (1£ = €1.1 approximately – but could change given Brexit!). The delegate fee is paid to the EFPT Forum and will be paid in pounds.
Each country also must pay a country fee (this is only paid once per country and again it varies from country to country). This membership fee is paid directly to EFPT in Euros, and is not included in the registration fees. In some countries, this fee may be paid by your national training association. Representatives of each country will be contacted separately by the EFPT Treasurer about arrangements to pay this fee. If you have any questions regarding the country membership fee, then please contact Zetti Azvee on treasurer@efpt.eu.
We have arranged a very good value accommodation package for the Forum, to cover the four nights from Saturday 21st July to Wednesday 25th July. This will include all your meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Unfortunately, it will not be possible to book for fewer than four nights within these dates. Additional nights accommodation are also available on Friday 20th July and the night of Wednesday 25th July on a B&B basis for a very reasonable rate.
You will have to pay for travel to Bristol, but there are bursaries available from the EFPT that can help cover costs, particularly if you live in a lower income country. Please contact secretary@efpt.eu for more information about how to apply for a bursary. The deadline for applications is 14th April.
- How is the Forum funded?
The Forum is funded by a combination of delegate fees and sponsorship. We are very pleased to be able to partner with a number of fantastic groups and organisations, who we feel align well with EFPT’s ethos. We are extremely grateful to our very generous sponsors and would like to invite you to visit the ‘Partners’ section of the Forum website to learn more about them.
- Can anyone attend the Forum?
The primary purpose of the Forum is to bring together psychiatric trainees from all countries within the WHO Europe region. The capacity of the venue is limited, so unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that everyone who wants to come will be able to attend. There are officially two delegates per country, whose places are guaranteed and these are allocated via the relevant national training associations. We do allow more than two per country (as observers), but official delegates will be given preference if space is limited. A priority booking period for up to two delegates and one observer from each country will last until 6th May. After this time, any remaining places will be made available.
If you are not an official delegate, but would still like to attend the Forum, we recommend that you contact your national training association at the earliest opportunity to discuss whether it might be possible to join the Forum as an observer. Links to many of the national training associations of EFPT’s members are available here. Observers participate equally in all parts of the Forum, except for voting and are also ineligible to stand for elected positions.
- How do I get to Bristol?
If you can fly direct to Bristol, this is probably best, with several budget carriers flying there from all over Europe. EasyJet flies to Bristol from over 60 European cities and Ryanair from numerous destinations in 13 countries. KLM also flies direct from Amsterdam Schiphol, so changing planes there could be a good option. Otherwise, you can fly to London Heathrow and get a bus to Bristol directly from the airport, which takes around 2 ½ hours. You can also get the train to London’s St. Pancras Station using the Eurostar from Paris or Brussels and then another train to Bristol.
The train from London to Bristol, leaves from Paddington Station and takes about two hours. You should aim to book any tickets for this train to Bristol as far in advance as possible, as it can be very expensive if you try to buy them on the day and costs vary significantly depending on which time you travel.
More information is available here.
- What is happening each day?
Saturday 21st July – Welcome Day
There will be city visits in Bristol itself and nearby Bath, followed by an introduction to the Forum, talks from EFPT’s partners, then a drinks reception and ‘Formal Hall’ dinner at the venue. Think ‘Hogwarts’ from Harry Potter!
Sunday 22nd July – Country Day
Each country talks about psychiatry training and then presents a poster. Delegates from each country will be expected to prepare a very short oral report and bring a printed poster. More detailed instructions will be sent nearer the time. We will then have working groups on different topics. That evening, we have the International Reception at Kings Weston House, with coaches to take you there and back. Each country will be invited in turn to present an element of their national culture, such as a song, dance or poem.
Monday 23rd July – Southwest Division Day
In the morning, there will be the second working group session. In the afternoon, there will be hospital visits where you can see what mental health services are like in Bristol. That evening we have arranged a buffet in a beautiful garden in the city (fingers crossed it doesn’t rain!)
Tuesday 24th July – Scientific Day
This will be the scientific day, where we will have lectures by some of the top academic neuroscientists and psychiatrists from around the world, all thinking differently about mind and brain. In the evening, we have a BBQ planned and then a private reception aboard the historic SS Great Britain (the No 1 attraction in Bristol according to TripAdvisor).
Wednesday 25th July – General Assembly
The General Assembly is the core business session for EFPT; on that day, we will elect the new Board, including the President Elect. There will also be a talk given by Prof. Guy Goodwin and prizes presented for the best poster, the research award, Beck psychotherapy award and the EFPT Excellence award. There is an optional farewell dinner that evening that we welcome you to join. This will involve a small extra cost.
Additionally, we are planning to run an optional extra day focussed on psychotherapy on Thursday 26th July. This will be in partnership with world class faculty from the famous Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. This day will involve a small extra charge, however bursaries will be available and can be applied for simultaneously with bursaries for the main Forum.
- Where should I stay?
We have enough accommodation available for ALL delegates at our Forum headquarters at Wills Hall in Bristol University. This is normally a Hall of Residence for students at the University, but as the students are on holiday, we can stay there. It is an attractive historic building, surrounded by beautiful gardens and even has its own tennis courts!
There is a choice of rooms, the cheaper ones have a bathroom shared with others (but are in the attractive old building) or the newer ones are en-suite with your own bathroom. We will be the only conference taking place there during the Forum, so we have the whole place to ourselves.
You will also be able to extend your stay for the nights of Friday 20th July and Wednesday 25th July for an extra fee.
- Why should I stay at the designated accommodation?
You can wake up within 50 metres of where the Forum is taking place! It’s very good value and all your meals are included (breakfast, lunch and dinner). It would be hard to find any cheaper accommodation in Bristol. There are lots of facilities on site, including a bar and tennis courts. We really would like to have everyone together so that there is plenty of opportunity to get to know one another, socialise and move EFPT forward.
- Who is organising the Forum?
The Forum is being organised by a group of trainees and qualified psychiatrists based in Bristol and around the UK. To find out more about us, please visit the ‘Local Organising Committee’ section of the website.
- What if I have any other questions?
If there is anything that you are unsure about, please contact us at the earliest opportunity. We have a dedicated Forum email address efptbristol2018@gmail.com and members of the friendly Local Organising Committee are standing by to answer your queries.