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Thursday morning at the Spring BGS Meeting in Bournemouth saw an update from the Parkinson’s disease (Pd) Academy. The Masterclasses, delivered by the Pd Academy, were described by a past BGS president as ‘not just the jewel in the crown of the [then] Pd Section, but of the BGS itself.”

Now in its 8th year the Pd Academy will see 66 participants pass through 2009’s three Masterclasses which will make a total of 312 over 16 Masterclasses. The first 7 comprised mixed groups but from 2006 onwards the 2 classes per year have been badged ‘Classic’ (for consultants and other more senior colleagues) or ‘SpR’ for more junior colleagues with curricula to match. During 2009 for the first time there will be 2 ‘SpR’ classes as well as the ‘Classic’. In all Masterclasses, around three quarters of participants are drawn from Geriatric Medicine with others drawn from Old Age Psychiatry, Neurology, and Rehabilitation Medicine plus colleagues from nursing and the Allied Health Professions. There have also been 2 ‘Advanced’ Masterclasses – the latest in 2008 – for alumni.

Audit has always been part of the 2 module Masterclass (now rebadged the Classic) and has run alongside the mentoring period that characterises the 6 months between the modules. Since the publication of the NICE guidelines it has become possible for these audits to use those guidelines as the audit Gold Standard.

This in turn has prompted the construction of a website based audit tool in a project led by Dorothy Robertson (Bath) with the support of the Pd Society and colleagues from other professions. This was demonstrated. Moreover the Masterclass has proved a superb opportunity to pilot the tool – something that has been happening since Masterclass 8. The tool will be rolled out over 2009 and will be trialled once again in Masterclass 14 which begins in May.

Serendipity is a wonderful thing. No sooner had we analysed the data from Masterclass12, than the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Parkinson’s disease launched its enquiry into the inconsistency of provision of Pd services in the UK. Invited to make a submission the Section was able to draw on the results of Masterclass participants’ audits to demonstrate just that.

So from humble educational beginnings have come not just opportunities for fabulous CPD and service developments based on participants’ interests and involvement, but also audits that have been heard at a level from where commissioning change might, just might, result.

Peter Fletcher - Chair
BGS Movement Disorders Section

BGS Newsletter, March 2009
Issue 21 ISSN 1748-6343 21