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One of the first tasks of the incoming President Elect is to work with the BGS’s Chief Executive in a biennial review of the Society’s strategic plan. The resulting paper was debated and approved by the Society’s Trustees in November. We would welcome comments, not only on events and activities in 2006, but also on how readers see the future of the specialty and the Society, developing.

In addressing the requirements of the Charity Commission, the prime activities of the Society remain:

• The holding of scientific meetings
• The publication of peer reviewed papers
• The active promotion of research, education and training in all aspects of geriatric medicine.

In support of the prime activities, the strategic plan consists of certain key objectives, listed below (please note that “progress” reported under the headings are not intended to be an exhaustive list of Society acitivies. They merely demonstrate that the Society is active on many fronts).

The BGS is recognised as the representative body for the specialist professional practice of geriatric medicine, establishing and maintaining an authoritative voice on health care and ageing with both public and politicians

Activities: Formal responses to inquiries from government and other professional groups
Progress: The Society has responded on the following:

• “Social Value Judgements” and “Nutrition in Adults Guidelines”, to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence
• “Changes to Primary care Trusts”; Independent Sector Treatment Centres”; “Workforce Needs and Planning for the Health Service”, to the House of Commons Health Select Committee
• “Scoping Study on Rehabilitation in the NHS and Social Care” to the Department of Health
• “Lasting Powers of Attorney” and “Mental Capacity Act 2005: Consultation on Draft Research Regulations” to the Department for Constitutional Affairs
• “Improving the Mental Health of the Population: Towards a strategy on Mental Health for the European Union”, to the European Commission
• “The Adequacy and Equity of Dermatology Service Provision”, to the All Party Parliamentary Group on skin
• “Future Housing and Care of Older People” to 20:20

Activity: Working with medical colleagues in other disciplines
Progress: The Society has:

• Conducted a second joint training day with the British Orthopaedic Association
• Held a joint meeting with the Royal College of General Practitioners, to explore the interface between primary and secondary medical care in the new NHS: the care of frail elderly people by GP’s and consultant geriatricians
• Been instrumental in developing and publishing “Delirious about Dementia”, a collaboration with old age psychiatrists and specialist nurses
• Participated with other specialist societies and the Department of Health under the auspices of the Registrar of the Royal College of Physicians on a working party examining the impact of Payment by Results

Activity: Working with non-medical groups with age related objectives
Progress:

• The Policy Committee’s lead on “Dignity behind Closed Doors” has involved joint working with Age Concern, Help the Aged, The Continence Foundation and others. This campaign is having a profound impact in raising the Society’s profile
• The Society plays a leading and active role as a member of the Department of Health’s “Older People’s Specialist Forum”, where senior Society figures lead on topics such as rehabilitation, Payment by Results and the importance of comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment
• The Falls and Bones Section has been actively supporting the work of Help the Aged’s “Staying Steady” campaign, which forms part of the National Falls Awareness Day

Activities: Working with the media
Progress:

• The Society works with a public relations company with specific expertise in the field of healthcare. A group of senior Officers are now on-hand to respond to breaking stories in the media, and have been called upon consistently over the last twelve months.
• Specific media messages are being refined which stress the need for investment in older people’s services in preparation for increased demand and the importance of multi-disciplinary assessment teams

Activities: Maintaining and expanding on existing international links
Progress:

• The Falls and Bones Section has worked with the American Geriatrics Society on an update on falls guidelines
• The Society maintains links with: The American Geriatrics Society, The Canadian Geriatrics Society; the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society; the Union of European Medicine Society and the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics
• The Society continues to provide the secretariat to the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society
• During 2005/6 the Society played a key role in developing and delivering a training programme in geriatric medicine in Taiwan

The BGS remains an independent charity, promoting knowledge through research, education and training, providing the necessary funding to achieve this

Activities: Providing financial support in the form of grants and research fellowships
Progress:

• There are grants available in the following categories: Medical Students Elective & Vacations Projects; Nurses Study Grants; Therapists Study Grants; Young Doctors Educational Grants and Specialist Registrar Start-up Grants.
• Grant limits raised in some categories (for members)
• A new clinical research fellowship entitled The Marjory Warren Clinical Research Fellowship has been approved, to be co-funded with Research into Ageing
• The Dhole Fellowship, also co-funded with Research into Ageing, due to be renewed in 2007
• Academic & Research Committee has approved another clinical research fellowship, to be named the Marjorie Kuck Research Fellowship, following receipt of a legacy from the late Dr Kuck, BGS member.

The BGS maintains a compendium of best practice statements and guidelines, together with information on training and education

Activities: Web-based compendium and an expanding section on clinical guidelines
Progress:

• Clinical guidelines and compendium papers regularly top the monthly website statistics
• The Policy Committee keeps all compendium documents under regular review.
• The Education and Training Committee keeps all educational material under review.
• The Clinical Practice and Effectiveness Committee is putting forward suggestions for new clinical guidelines. A Guideline on “Advance Statements and Advance Directives” was recently approved

The BGS promotes scientific meetings and the publication of peer reviewed papers

Activities: Spring and Autumn scientific conferences
Progress:

The Academic & Research Committee, working closely with the Meetings Secretaries, ensuring that scientific content and support from pharmaceutical industry is delivering twice yearly programmes. Measures have been introduced, in the form of reduced registration fees, to counter falling delegate numbers and decline in submissions of abstracts

Activities: Publication of “Age and Ageing” and themed supplements
Progress:

• “Turnround Time” has fallen by 56% in the last year
• Accepted abstracts from scientific meetings now produced in CD-ROM format
• Journal “Impact factor” considerably higher in 2006
• Number of submissions up by 18% in the last year

The BGS will actively engage in academic interfaces with Royal Colleges etc., at the same time promoting a rigorous and systematic approach to CPD

Activities: Update rolling programme of Continuing Professional Development
Progress:

• A new Director of Continuing Professional Development was appointed at the end of 2006
• The Academic & Research Committee controls the rolling programme and works with the Meetings Secretaries to ensure that future scientific meetings address the fundamental topics for key presentations and parallel sessions; including the rolling cycle of Special Interest Group and Section contributions
• Continue the collaboration with the Joint Speciality Committee for Geriatrics with the Royal College of Physicians (London) on policy matters relating to geriatric medicine, with particular reference to responses to government. This is increasingly important, given the number of changes taking place within the delivery of healthcare and the forthcoming changes to the re-validation of doctors

The BGS will encourage multidisciplinary involvement in SIG’s and Sections, at the same time promoting appropriate multidisciplinary membership, by fostering closer relationships with other specialist groups

Activity: Special Interest Groups and Sections working with professional colleagues
Progress:

• The Cardiovascular Section is in discussion with the British Cardiac Society and the British Society for Heart failure on future collaboration
• The Diabetes Special Interest Group has met with representatives from Diabetes UK and other medical groups on “diabetes in residential care”
• The Primary and Continuing Care Special Interest Group has been involved in discussions with the Royal College of General Practitioners on the matter of the “Interface between primary and secondary care in the new NHS: the care of frail elderly people”
• The newly established Nurse Consultants Special Interest Group will be holding its first poster and parallel session at the 2007 scientific meeting in Brighton

Looking to the future
With the Trustees taking a lead, and using the United Kingdom Management Committee as the vehicle, more thought needs to be given to where the Society expects itself and geriatric medicine to be in three to five years time.

We must utilise the skills and experience of all our National Councils, Standing Committees, Special Interest Groups and Sections and staff to ensure we are clear of the direction we wish to take with government, other professional colleagues and like minded organisations.

Prof Graham Mulley
President-Elect
Alex Mair
Chief Executive