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As David mentioned in his editorial, members may be aware that Professor Ian Philp has decided to stand down as National Clinical Director for Older People’s Services. 
He has been a tireless advocate for older people in the heart of Whitehall and many of you will have been able to develop your service using the arguments advocated by the National Service Framework and subsequent policy documents. One less well known aspect of his work was the creation of an Older People’s Specialist Forum at which representatives from all the relevant healthcare professions were able to give views on current and proposed Department of Health policies. The Society is now hosting the Forum and is a clear manifestation of the multi-disciplinary nature of our work. Ian, thank you. UKMC has decided to mark his tenure in Whitehall by making a special presentation at the Glasgow meeting.
Links with Help the Aged
| The BGS wishes to congratulate the following colleagues who were recognised in the Queen’s Honours Roll in November:
Dr Pradeep Balbir Khanna MBE, Consultant Physician, Care of the Elderly and Chief of StaV for Community Services, Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust. For services to Medicine Professor Martin Peter Severs OBE, Associate Dean (Clinical Practice), Faculty of Science, University of Portsmouth. For services to Medicine. Dr William Edward Wilkins OBE, Clinical Director of Integrated Medicine and Consultant Physician, Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust. For services to the NHS in Wales. |
At the last UKMC it was agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Help the Aged. We will be setting up a joint Health Advisory panel to advise Help the Aged and they, in turn, will have input into our policy developments. Expect to see conferences jointly badged with Help the Aged and joint responses to consultations. Many of the Medical Specialist Societies enjoy, and benefit, from close links with related patient groups and this link-up advances our well established relationship with Research into Ageing (now part of Help the Aged) into a broader arena.
Have you ever been rejected?
Writing this the day after Valentine’s Day I should explain that I am talking about rejected abstracts submitted to our meetings. The Academic and Research Committee has broadened the range of types of abstracts that can be accepted. These now include clinical effectiveness studies. We would be interested in hearing from the membership whether they feel that we are too restrictive. Any thoughts would be welcome. Please email to the editor (email link at the top of this page).
Knowledge Based Assessments
A formal test of knowledge (aka an exam) is an obligatory assessment within the new curriculum for registrars. Oliver Corrado has been leading a team of experts who have been working hard producing questions and I had hoped that we would be able to announce that this process had been completed. The examination will be administered by the MRCP (UK) Office but will be a joint venture between the Royal Colleges and the BGS. Unresolved issues include the title of the award that will be granted, the cost to applicants, and how and where the assessment will be administered. I hope that we will be able to announce that these issues are resolved by the time of the next issue.
National Hip Fracture Database
I attended the launch of this project atf the House of Lords. As a Senior Registrar I worked in a joint geriatric medicine/orthopaedic unit at St Helen’s Hospital, Hastings and it has taken a little while for such joint working to become fully accepted. For the Society to work jointly with the BOA on such a major project must be regarded as almost miraculous! (note: the late Dr Tony Clarke told me that his unit in Stoke was opened before the one in Hastings).
Annual Report 1960-1965
Tony started his consultant career before moving to Brighton and I was recently presented with the Annual Reports of the geriatric medicine service for what was then called the Stoke-on-Trent Hospital management committee. The two consultants had responsibility for over 700 patients in 8 or 9 hospitals. Between them they clocked up over 1,500 visits in the year! How things have changed although detailed reading reveals that many things have not altered – for example, the reports contain details of elder abuse.
Honours
As you can see from the box on the previous page, three of our members have been recognised in the Queen’s Honours. It is good to know that the governance of the Empire is in such capable hands. The Society takes part in the nomination process and provides letters of support. The President and President-Elect are always happy to receive suggestions from members. There is also liaison with the President of the London College and other organisations, as appropriate.
Glasgow
I am looking forward to this event and to seeing as many of you as can make it. The Organising Committee has produced a superb programme and the dinner will take place at the recently restored Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum*. See you there.
EUGMS Copenhagen
Could I draw members’ attention to the call for abstracts now posted on the EUGMS website It looks a great programme and I hope as many of you as possible will be able to make the trip there. It is a marvellous opportunity for all of us to meet colleagues from other countries and share experiences and establish lasting professional and social friendships.
*p.s. we have been promised that the event will be bagpipe free.
Peter Crome
BGS Newsletter, March 2008
Issue 15 ISSN 1748-6343 15