RCGP Council

1) Transgender module on RCGP website – which has now been withdrawn – my concern is also that the evidence base is lacking for a markedly changed demographic – I felt there was lack of clarity in chair’s blog about the wider issues and governance of evidence in modules more widely. I do not think it appropriate that there is effectively a payment to access GPs and supply education. Educational need does not mirror funding. I asked for reassurances on quality control and evidence appraisal.

2) China strategy – I raised concerns re business model; we certainly have a role to support and help Chinese GP develop, but should surely helping them to set up their own systems and not be in  a position where we could be seen to profit from it

3) wellbeing – one word on my hated words list, along with ‘resilience’ –  however CEOs plan to “Reducing GP suicides and burnout by ensuring that wellbeing resources are easily available at the point of need” – no evidence this is the case. May end up as effectively blaming the victim for being mentally unwell or burnt out for not accessing ‘wellbeing resources’ – when it’s the system to blame and which needs changed.

4) future vision for general practice including suggestion that we will become ‘well being hubs ‘ – under no circumstances will I ever work in such a named place…

concern re stats in report e.g. inference can avoid 57 million consults a year via self care – no evidence this can happen and this data comes from the Self Care Forum who have their own interests
We need to distinguish want versus need – otherwise inequalities are exacerbated
led by evidence – this needs to be embedded – otherwise no mention of opportunity cost or cost effectiveness of interventions esp AI
need for health literacy and critical thinking skills amongst policy makers (!)

5) safety catch is needed for RCGP accredited education – one course has been de accredited – everything we do should be evidence based and unafraid to state the uncertainties of what we do and don’t know

6) rethinking medicine
The idea that there is often too much medicine is an old ideas and to move on we need to think about the system failings we have had – QOF, CQC, appraisals –

this should be about systems and what we need from them not individuas

I couldn’t get  to unfunded meetings and was told I couldn’t join any part of meeting by phone
– my fear is that it is top down rather than bottom up
– and that fragmentation /duplication is a problem- many similar initiatives – we need to learn forward rather than create another banner surely

7) I asked for numbers of males vs females and black and ethnic minority invited lecturers over the last 20 years at RCGP meetings. I have raised what appears to be a massive discrepancy before. I hope that by asking for numbers this would perhaps make the point better. It is the nominations committee who decide these things; I can’t sit on this because I am not a fellow of the college.