President’s Report 2008-09
In my first annual report last year, I described the first year of my Presidency as ‘interesting’ and ‘busy’. My second has certainly been as interesting and as busy, although sadly in some cases it has dealt with the same issues. No matter where you are in your medical career there appears to be uncertainty. The implications of Modernising Medical Careers remain a part of life for our trainees and we still await the impact (if any) of the Tooke recommendations. The terms of engagement for revalidation for consultants, whilst beginning to take some shape, clearly have some way to go before there is a clear and definitive system to achieve the desired outcome. The General Medical Council (GMC) is currently working through the legislative programme required to make the changes. The sooner these can be made, the sooner we can introduce a system that will demonstrate the ongoing “fitness to practise” for clinicians, whilst providing the reassurance required by the public at large. The Registrar will provide more details about how we are working towards its implementation in his report. Even our senior fellows have not been immune from change following the GMC’s announcement on the registration fees for those of “a certain age”. A position, Council agreed College should not seek to emulate.
Our collective working relationship with the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) has improved over the past year following some intensive negotiations between them and the negotiating committee of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC). Our College was heavily involved with both the Chief Executive and myself as members of the negotiating committee.
I had the role of acting as the Academy’s President representative on the group and found the whole process both stimulating and concerning. The concentration on the Certificate of Equivalence for Specialist Registration (CESR or article 14) was the major area for discussion, but forms only a very small part of our activity. Little time was spent on the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) process, which is a significantly greater part of our core activity – in both the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB) and the Joint Committee on Surgical Training (JCST). The reason for the difference in this concentrated effort – money! PMETB pays colleges for CESR work but not for CCT. So whilst it was gratifying to have the working arrangements on a more formal footing, I was left wondering if we hadn’t lost sight of our collective priorities.
The Surgical Forum has facilitated the surgical colleges working closely with the surgical specialist societies to develop a co-ordinated approach to all matters surgical. As a physician I have found it intriguing to chair that all-surgical group. The surgical royal colleges collectively agreed to the introduction of a training fee for surgical trainees. I recognise that this caused some discomfort amongst many trainees and I have no doubt that, on reflection, this could have been handled more effectively. For RCPSG however, this was a principle that established equity between our surgical and physician trainees (who have been paying such a fee for some time.)
Much time has been spent in Federation getting new and more business-like working arrangements in place among the three Colleges of Physicians. These have yet to be concluded but we are hopeful that a unanimous agreement will be reached in the near future. Through our Members and Fellows we continue to play an active role in the three main Federation activities (MRCP(UK) exam, CPD and JRCPTB) and this will not change in the near future. We are also very pleased to have renewed some old acquaintances with our colleagues in the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland and look forward to explore possible options around joint working with them.
I have taken President’s privilege at each of our admission ceremonies to address our new diplomates, members, fellows and award holders; an opportunity often passed to someone else. However, I very much regard this is as a key address to our new College family members. During these I have emphasised the importance of the milestones that they have achieved, recognised that there will have been sacrifices made along the way and asked them to applaud those who have supported them through this part of their professional lives. But most importantly, I have asked them to recognise that what they have achieved is mark of not mere competence, but of excellence. I have urged them to recognise their achievements in the next stage of their career and wherever possible, to use their new found attributes and position to uphold the trust and respect which the medical profession still commands from the general public.
I am delighted to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the work undertaken by the Council and in particular the Office Bearers over the past year. We have ensured that each Council meeting has had the opportunity to discuss a key issue relating to a specific professional matter or a particular issue facing our College. This new format has worked very well and I am confident that as a whole the Council can demonstrate that it has exercised its responsibilities under the college Byelaws and Regulations as well as the requirements of the Charity Regulator. But of course, the operational management lies with the Chief Executive and his staff. It is a pleasure to offer my thanks for all their efforts over the past year.
My closing message this year is a simple one – this is your College and we need as many people as possible to engage in its activities. So, if you have not already done so – get involved! The next year will have many new and exciting opportunities for you as an individual and for us as a College. Some of these will be improvements to what we currently do and some will be very new and potentially very exciting Together I am confident we can do so much more. I hope that I will be able to report yet further advances in my third and final annual report in 2009.