Chairman’s Introduction
Our role as a faculty is
to provide an arena in which we can support our members with
opportunities for education, thought and debate about the nature of
the care we provide. In this my third year as Chair, I have sought
to continue the excellent educational work the faculty has
undertaken; to continue to work with our partners within and
outside the College; and to look to the future not only with
curiosity about our role but also with confidence that what we do
here is valuable not only to our members but to wider society.
Pace of Change
This time last year I
spoke about ‘constantly shifting health policy’. This year the word
has to be ‘seismic’ as we grapple with our future as real GP
commissioners. This means real power and real, even awesome,
responsibility. Whereas last year I spoke about the questioning of
our role as doctors and generalists, now the spotlight turns on us
as commissioners, with widespread scepticism, even in our own
ranks, about our ability to fulfil this role. One of our major
challenges in the coming years will be to help develop skills and
support for GPs and commissioners as we adjust to a very different
playing field. I have every confidence that we can grasp some of
these opportunities and play an important role in improving health
services for our patients. This despite the major financial
cutbacks that the NHS is going to suffer.
Educational Activity
A series of high quality
educational meetings have attracted large numbers of people. The
EASE meetings, aimed more at trainees and GP’a in their first five
years, but open to all, continue their successful run. Huge thanks
go to Mike Smith, our Education Convenor this year, for an
innovative and highly successful series of events. We should aim to
build on this success and continue our record of excellent
educational provision, in an increasingly crowded market.
RCGP London!
The faculty review has
gone – and now we have two pilots of regional organisations in
England. London is of course one of these, and while we wait for
the funding, we’re making plans for the future. These include work
with the London Deanery on First Fives, developing the
sustainability of the London Journal, developing a London-wide
voice within and outside of the NHS. Interestingly this coincides
with the physical move of the College from its old home in Princes
Gate – so there is a real sense of change and progress for us in
this faculty.
In summary
The faculty continues to
develop its scope of activities. We are well prepared to respond to
constant and often dizzying changes in health care. I am proud that
we are clearly standing as part of that change for the better, as
well as articulating and fighting for the values that we regard as
essential to good General Practice.
I want to say a huge
Thank You to our faculty administrator Debbie Board, whose workload
continues to increase as we do more. Beverley Russell our South
East England Faculties Support Manager, is becoming RCGP London
Support Manager. She has done much of the groundwork for RCGP
London, and will be in the centre of our future activities and
development. Frances Cloyne, Faculties Office for the College, has
been a constant champion for the faculties and for RCGP London.
Once again I am grateful
to the board, who ask the most difficult questions and offer the
best support. We are sorry to lose Paquita de Zulueta as our Vice
Chair, who has also taken on such an important role with the
Journal. We wish her all the best in her new endeavours.
Dr Tony Burch
FRCGP
Chairman
Details of Memorial Prizes for Trainers and Trainees may be
found on the 'News Page'.
A conference report is available for viewing on the
publications page.