RCGP Council review 18.9.20
RCGP Members can access minutes here: https://www.rcgp.org.uk/council-papers.aspx
The second Zoom based RCGP Council meeting but the first full length one.
Welcome and Chair report by Martin Marshall with explanation of process and reason for this Council meeting, follow announcements on Twitter here.
An explanation by Hon Sec Victoria Tzortziou-Brown on the Zoom process and how functions will work.
Approval of standing orders and apologies for absences, DOI and IG and welcome of first time faculty reps, other seats and observers.
We also said goodbye to leaving representatives:
Stuart Blake
John Cosgrove
Robert Hamptom
Martin Hewitt
Helen Stokes-Lampard
Anthony James – AiT chair
We then noted the passing of recent colleagues and then review of previous minutes.
Chair general announcements
Martin commented about some of the rapid changes including the recent NHS England letter and the RCGP response here. Membership is the highest it has ever been at 54378 members.
I thanked the Chair and RCGP for their recent rapid responses to pertinent issues like the recent NHS England letter. I also asked for the continued evidence to show that the profession wants to move back to a F2F over digital route as this was based on information prior to COVID
We then reviewed the trustee board minutes. These are confidential as is much of this meeting unfortunately.
However congratulations to Kamila Hawthorne on joining the Trustee board. The financial situation of the college was discussed including a significant deficit that needs to be balanced. Assurances were offered by the board representatives about the work and effort to do the best for the members and staff.
Recent RCGP National representative elections review
This was discussed and congratulations to the newly elected members.
The election process was discussed including, the change from paper-based to electronic voting and the challenges this posed. Also aspects of canvassing, collaborative campaigning, probity and the drop in response rate.
Further analysis is pending.
Routes to Membership
This paper was confidential and not able for me to discuss further.
An interesting fact which is not confidential is that RCGP membership (including AiT) accounts for about 68% of the GPs in the UK.
Fellowship paper
Again marked as confidential and will be brought back to council for discussion in November after discussion with the faculties.
CPD paper
Discussed on the impact for faculties and direction of changing to hubs, causeways and networks to build better learning with the digital offering.
Lunch – unlike F2F Council meetings this time I had pitta bread with hummus, artichokes, pickle, cheese and a tomato. All from home, cost to the RCGP membership – the time you took to read this 🙂
Sustainability paper
This paper was brought back after disappointment at the delay in presenting it. It was recognized as an important paper and changes were discussed.
Health Inequalities paper
In discussing this paper it was acknowledged in the recent letter by members detailing that social aspects of health is not the responsibility of GPs to solve.
I spoke on this excellent paper in that it is important work but not the remit of GPs, but primary care as a whole. That we need to tackle digital literacy and deprivation, and we need data and funding to support this, not taking on the inadequacies of others failing to provide this as GPs tend to do. The funding model in particular needs changing as it is not fit for purpose.
I apologise as at this point I had to leave the meeting
I noted the chat during the meeting was rich and detailed and provided a lot of extra content and context that was missing from previous meetings.
Next RCGP council meeting 22nd Nov 2020