A proposed 5 year programme covering the CME/CPD needs for for regional and BGS meetings is in an advanced stage of drafting.

There are a few key changes from the previous programme.

The new curriculum emphasises the need for greater focus on delivery of care into the community. This balance is also affected by the National Service Framework for Older People and the development of intermediate care facilities. In addition, geriatricians need to be aware of health promotion, disease prevention and population changes in order to intervene effectively in reducing disability and morbidity. The new core curriculum in geriatric medicine and the generic curriculum provide a framework for this and should be referenced. Objectives in learning are more clearly defined than before, the knowledge and skills of the subject matter, the teaching and learning methods, assessment of having achieved the goals are all detailed in the new curriculum. Topics remain much the same as changes in disease patterns and presentations are slow, but our approach to them, meeting need, treatment and investigations and knowledge base are constantly changing, so the subject matter will change over the years and, no doubt, will be changed by government imperatives. We must still uphold and teach the basic tenets of geriatric medicine which have distinguished it over the years from other medical specialties.

SIGs and committees
Our special interest groups and committees are an important source of expertise which we hope to hold on to and develop over the years. We are indebted to them for their contributions to the Society meetings and life, both local and central. The education and learning process is part of our lives and expressed only in part at our Society meetings. This process of continuing professional development is seen as a triple helix, the first being the teaching of geriatric medicine in medical school; the second, the training and education of the 'junior doctor' (often the teacher of the 'older doctor!); and the third helix is that of the hospital specialist and consultant. These three together should form a strong cord of geriatric medicine which cannot be broken! Hospital doctors and non-consultant career grade doctors remain a very important part of the health service; they are an integral part of the Society and are fully associated with our education, training and life-long learning programmes. We also welcome our colleagues in general practice as well as other health care professionals to our meetings. The teacher learns twice, so our involvement in multidisciplinary teaching is very important. Equally, research is being given much more prominence in our Society, and rightly so.

Key Changes

• The Federation of the Royal Colleges is tightening up on the process of recognising meetings for CME. An online registration process is being developed. In future the learning objectives of each major item (e.g. a lecture or workshop, but not a series of short presentations) will need to be listed and the expertise of the speaker(s) given. The speaker will probably have to declare any interests on the first slide (e.g. sponsored by a pharmaceutical company). The event will have to have true educational value. For central and regional meetings any overt commercial sponsorship should be avoided. In general, several different sponsors are better than one. The whole matter of sponsorship has been raised recently by the President. The Federation is also considering how European meetings in the UK can be recognised for CPD/CME. Delivery method, defined target audience and evaluation will also probably have to be listed on CPD/CME online application.
• t Each year one of the 'geriatric giants' will be covered at one or more of the Society's meetings.*
• t The committees, including the SAC in Geriatric medicine, which is not a BGS committee will be invited to give short presentation on what they do.
• t The President will be invited to give a summary of the previous 12 months at the Autumn meeting.
• t Common/difficult problems will form part of the platform presentations, divided between the two Society meetings.*
• t General/management topics will also be covered.*
• t At the Autumn meeting and, if possible, at the Spring meeting, the use of clinics/workshops in different specialties/topics will be considered. The clinics will be along the lines of workshops and members will be asked to contribute cases for consideration and will be expected to participate actively in the meeting. The emphasis will be clinical and numbers of people attending limited, to allow interactive learning.

*The slant taken will be left to the meetings secretaries. The topics are broad enough to allow different viewpoints on the same subject and recent developments can be included. Local organisers and Meetings Secretaries can refer to the 'basic list of subject/topics', SIG topics, and to the curriculum for more detailed lists. It is recognised that all the items listed cannot be covered, even over a five year period - Meetings Secretaries are asked to ensure that a broad sweep of subjects is covered.

Past topics stored online
Local organisers need to be aware of subjects covered over the previous two years and plan for the remainder of the five year cycle to avoid duplication, although different slants on the same topic are entirely permissible. The BGS central office will keep details of the previous two years' topics on-line for easy reference, and the Meetings Secretaries can advise on future plans. SIGs have contributed lists of topics they wish to be covered, which should help forward planning.

Specialist registrars and NCCGs will still have their local educational programmes to cover the curriculum over a five year period. SpRs are normally expected to attend at least one of the Society Spring and Autumn meetings. Regions also run their own educational programmes related to the curriculum.

Evidence not required
It is important that local and central meetings are registered for CME with the College and appear on the web based list of recognised meetings. If this is done then the Federation of Royal Colleges will not require the individual member to submit evidence of having attended the meeting as they will request that information from BGS London office.

For more detail on both the 2005 - 2006 topics and on the progress of the 2007 - 2011 programme.

Ian Taylor
CPD Director