The RCGP Rural ForumAnnual Report

Harrogate conference 2010Dr Malcolm Ward

RCGP Rural Practice Standing Group

The Rural Practice Group was founded in 1993 to raise the profile of rural medicine in the United Kingdom through education, research and the dissemination of good practice in rural health care.

The Rural Forum is born

• February 2009 UK Council votes against NG Faculty (33:17)

• Voted for Rural Forum: (44 for, 0 against, 5 abstentions)

• Launch Glasgow November Conference

2009

Overall aims of the Rural forum• To represent rural and remote general practitioners within the RCGP with the

potential to promote rural issues within and outwith the College faculties and be the rural face of the College

• To encourage engagement with the College of those fellows/members working in rural practice.

• To facilitate communication between and networking of rural doctors across the UK.

• To support the professional development of rural general practitioners, with particular reference to the required knowledge, skills and attitudes of a general practitioner to care for patients in a rural setting.

• To promote rural practice and support associates in training with particular reference to the required knowledge, skills and attitudes.

• To promote rural practice as a career path for associates in training and through the College strive to ensure availability of appropriate training.

• To promote remote and rural issues at appropriate level, engaging with the profession, managers and informing political debate.

• Democratic infrastructure

 

Membership benefits• Belonging to a Forum which specifically represents the interests of

rural practitioners in the care of their patients at all levels.

• Once a Forum membership/constituency is established a democratic representative structure can be created.

• A virtual system of communication via E-communication and web based facilities.

• Opportunity to comment on, and influence College policy.

• Opportunity to influence College interaction with other relevant

agencies where their policies and initiatives may impact upon rural healthcare. E.g. SAS consultation, Scottish OOH consultation

• E-learning: sign posting, rural modules, ?CD-ROM option

Achievements?

HQ

Mrs Paula LythgoeRural & Remote Administrator

RCGP Cumbria Faculty

Education Centre

West Cumberland Hospital

Whitehaven

Cumbria

CA28 8JG

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Telephone No:  01946 590169

Fax No:  01946 692904

 

E-mail Address:  ruralforum@rcgp.org.uk

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Democracy

RF Steering Group Election

Retiring members:

• John Elder (Lincs)

• Paul Kettle (Orkney)

• Susan Taylor (RPAS)

Incoming members

• Angharad Edwards (Wales)

• Kristian Mears (England)

• Steve McCabe (Portree, Scotland)

Steering Group 2010-2011

Elected

• Chris Clarke (Devon)• A Edwards (Wales)• Rob Lambourne

(Cumbira)• Krystian Mears• Malcolm Ward (Derbysh’)• John Wynne-Jones

(Powys,Wales)

Co-opted

• Aidan Egleston (DDA)• David Hogg (First 5)• ? (AiT)• Jayne Randall-Smith

(IRH)• Russell Walshaw (GPC)

RFSG: How we work

• Email: weekly to daily

• Small group Skype sessions

• Teleconferencing

• Face to face: 3 per year

Revalidation: concerns of rural practices:

Discussions with College and GMC

1. Multi source feedback (MSF)

2. Clinical audits

3. Significant Event Auditing (SEA)

4. Learning Credits.

Phased introductory requirementsEvidence Yr 1 (2010-11) Yr 2 (2011-12) Yr 3 (2012-13) Yr 4 (2013-14) Yr 5 (2014-15)

Role description

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Exceptional circumstances

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Evidence of appraisals

one two three four five

PDPs one two three four five

PDP reviews - one two three four

Learning credits

50 or CPD 50 100 150 200

MSFs - 0ne MSF OR one one two

Patient surveys

- one PS one one two

Review of complaints from 2009/10

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

SEAs one two three four five

Clinical audits - one one two two

Probity/Health statement

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Responding to consultations

• Scottish Ambulance Service: “Our future strategy”

• “Your choice of GP practice” (practice boundaries)

• GMC Revalidation

• Control of Entry regulation Scotland

• The White Paper: “Commissioning for patients”

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Networking with other agencies

• College hierarchy

• GPC

• GMC

• IRH

• RPAS

• Euripa

• DDA

• BASICs

Rural Forum web page

www.rcgp.org.uk/ruralforum

Rural blog: wwwruralgp.org.uk

• Independent of RCGP but RF associated

• Rural GP resource and central portal to other resources

ruralgpgooglegroup

• Independent of RCGP but RF associated

• Popular discussion forum for rural GPs

RuralGP.com: What’s changed?

• cleaner design

• - quicker to load

• - easier to manage

• - more info on career advice - with more to come

• - previously was prohibited by some NHS firewalls - this should be less of a problem

Membership

• England – 209 members

• Northern Ireland – 11 members

• Scotland – 125 members

• Wales – 31 members

• 7 international members

Total: 383 (+ 30-40 conference recruits!)

Membership

The Rural Forum is open to all RCGP Members, Fellows, and Associates in Training who declare an interest in rural general practice and signal their wish to join.

You need the Rural Forum

and the Rural Forum needs you!