Chronology of The RCGP by Subject

Manpower/Workforce


 
1955
 
 
Metropolitan and Home Counties Sub committee formed to consider the problems of general practitioners working with students in the London area.
 

1955

 

Ministry of Health [Willink] committee on Medical Manpower college subcommittee to consider evidence.

 

1964
 
Future of general practice working party was formed to consider the ramification of the Gillie report.
 
1965
 
Professor Richard Scott gave annual James Mackenzie lecture entitled "Medicine in Society" "the present state of affairs in general practice in every country was the concern of nearly everyone and not only of family doctors themselves, and that medicine could flourish only when society was willing and able to pay the price of providing resources, manpower and administrative machinery for ensuring that the doctor had the education, the time and the tools to do this job properly."
 
 
1965
 
 
Publication of "General practice today, its conditions, contents and satisfaction" under auspices of practice organisation committee.
 
1965   Present State and Future Needs published by the Future of General Practice Subcommittee as Report from General Practice Number 2 [Chaired by John Fry]
 
1966
 
 
Formation of Research department. "The maintenance of high standards of research recording in general practice has never been so difficult. There are now fewer doctors in practice and their capacity to meet the needs of their patients is severely strained. Research work must never be undertaken at the expense of patient care and is an addition to the practitioner’s heavy load. If standards are to be maintained every possible step must be taken to lighten the extra commitments that so many general practitioners now voluntarily assume."
 
 
1969
 
 
Working party on report of Royal Commission on Medical Education [Todd commission] "If there is to be a programme of professional training for this branch of medicine, extending over several years after primary qualification, resources must be developed to meet new needs… the greatest need will be for doctors who are capable of teaching, but willingness and nascent ability are not sufficient. Unlike other branches of medicine there is not an established tradition of teaching within general practice itself…in the changing climate of practice the single-handed doctor is becoming the exception rather than the common-place. Group practice has obvious advantages for teaching but it also poses problems; not only must individuals be selected but also ‘teaching practices’… If growth [of the college] is to be maintained and membership is to remain a desirable attainment for doctors of the future, the College must be prepared and equipped to examine much larger numbers than it has handled heretofore… this will add new strains on its resources both in manpower and in organisation."
 
1969
 
 
Academic review working party. This was a wide-reaching committee which looked at what the College had achieved in the areas of examination, education and research, publications, relationships with other bodies and looked at when was going to be the changes and priorities for the next ten years. This resulted in "Present State and Future Needs" published in 1970.
 
 
1972
 
 
Working party on National Health Service re-organisation
 
 
1974
 
 
Employment and social services subcommittee of the expenditure committee, House of Commons – enquiry into emergency and accident services working party.
 
 
1978
 
 
Home visiting study
 

 

1980

 

 

Evidence to the House of Commons Social Sciences Committee enquiry into Medical Education with special reference to the numbers of doctors and their career structures. It reported in 1981 "The Short Report".

 

1980

 

Working party on the Flowers report into Medical and Dental Education in London

 

1980   Symposium on Problems of Care in Inner Cities held  at the Liverpool Medical Institition
1981    Occasional Paper 19 “Inner Cities” report by Keith Bolden includes London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow
1982   Inner Cities Task Force
 
1983
 
 
"What Sort of Doctor" working party.
 

 

1985

 

 

College response from questions from House of Commons Social Services Committee as to whether general practice was still a "shortage specialty"

 

1987

 

The DHSS had asked the College to submit estimates of future manpower requirements for general practice. 

 

1989

 

Joint statement with British Paediatric Association on the availability of senior house officer posts for training general practitioners

 

1992

 

Report to Council on problems of low morale and difficulties in attracting high calibre trainees throughout the country.

 

Dec 1992

 

Joint Conference with Institute of Health Services Management to discuss implication of Tomlinson Report "Report of the Inquiry into London's Health Service, Medical Education and Research" and how to improve London's general practitioner and community health services.

 

1994

 

Working party on medical manpower planning in the light of changes being brought about by the shortening of specialist training and the introduction of the unified training grade

 

1993

 

Scottish Council Working party report on Morale in General Practice

 

Mar 1994

 

Joint Committee on Palliative Medicine [with Royal College of Physicians of London] remit to advise on standards of care, manpower and training.

 

Sep 1994

 

Report of working group on revaluing general practice which looked at GP morale and recruitment levels.

 

1995

 

RCGP/Department of Health Fellowships on Stress in General Practice [Richard Maxwell and Ruth Chambers]

 

Dec 1995

 

"Doctors in General Practice"video launched designed to encourage young people to consider general practice as a career [part of re-valuing general practice programme]

 

May 1995

 

 

Conference GP's Stress Time for Action

 

7 Jun 1996

 

 

RCGP Women's Task Force Conference: Isolation in General Practice

 

Nov 1996   The Primary Care WorkforceA Descriptive Analysis blue and white policy booklet written by Tonie Mathie

14 Nov 1996

 

 

Can Inner City General Practice Survive?RCGP/GMSC conference on problems and solutions to recruitment and retention of GP's in Urban Deprived Areas, chaired by Ian Bogle

Sep 1997

 

The Careers Support Forum established. It's aims included identifying particular groups of doctors who had difficulties with career choices or planning such as non-principals and registrars; helping doctors to deal with career dilemmas caused by changes in the structure of the health service; liaising with organisations with roles in careers support in general practice and developing methods for the delivery of careers advice and support.

 

Sep

1999

 

 

"Tackling Racial Discrimination in General Practice"discussion paper by Mike Pringle and Has Joshi published. Focusing on the large number of doctors born overseas who worked in the most deprived areas of Britain, it set out how the College hoped to ensure that second generation medics were not marginalised within the profession and within the College.

 

2000

 

Publication of blue and white Council policy statement "Primary Care Workforce"

 

2000

 

Joint RCGP/GPC Working Group on Medical Workforce

 

June 2001

 

Joint meeting with NHS Confederation "New Models of Primary Care Leadership: What still needs to be done?"

 

2002

 

Publication of  "GP recruitment and retention - a qualitative analysis of doctors’ comments about training for and working in general practice" by Julie Evans, Trevor Lambert, Michael Goldacre [Occasional Paper 83]  

 

Jan 2002

 

 

Managing Poor Performance Conference

 

2003  

 New GMS contract for general practitioners

 

Jan 2007   A joint GPC/RCGP policy statement on Returning to General Practice
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the BMA’s General Practitioners Committee (GPC) jointly state that the current lack of support for returning to work as a general practitioner is iniquitous and indefensible.
Feb 2008   RCGP factsheet on Lord Darzi’s review of the NHS – ‘2. Cost-effectiveness of quality patient care’
March 2009   Publication of discussion paper "Changing Partnerships" by Clare Gerada

If you encounter a problem with this page please email the web team
© Royal College of General Practitioners
Registered Charity Number - 223106