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Conference '98 a personal view
(with a
little help from my friends)
by Tina
Ambury
(the one running around with a
microphone)
Also available in Adobe
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When Council began
planning for the inaugural NASGP National Conference, we wondered if having to
use the half-term weekend in Norwich would work. By resolving not to draw on
membership subscriptions to make Conference financially sound, we had no
capital to draw on. We needn't have worried, delegate places were
oversubscribed and sponsorship opportunities had sold out by the
Summer.
Delegates made the most of the sizeable exhibition area and the
rare opportunity to mingle with reps. In fact, the reps were so pleased with
the delegates’ attention that they packed up early, saying they'd seen
everyone - much to the chagrin of many delegates who would have liked more
exposure to the products.
Greg Carter (outgoing NASGP Secretary and
new Principal), opened Conference with an overview of what non-principals (NPs)
had achieved in the past year in terms of representation on national GP bodies
and what we can feel good about, whilst warning about complacency. As usual, he
waved his banana around.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Philip Leech
(Principal Medical Officer, NHS Executive and mastermind of Clinical
Governance) was eagerly awaited. Some were disappointed by the lack of NP
specific points, but the NHS Executive are committed to a fully inclusive
policy for primary care and have frequently stressed the importance of
non-principals within that policy. Leadership can come from NPs.
The
workshops were very well received. Obviously, as a facilitator of one, I
couldn’t go to them all, but my spies kept me informed about most. Here
are their snippets;
The educational toolkit saw Rebecca Viney (Chair of
GPC NP subcommittee) sharing her experiences with an overflowing room of
non-principals keen to know how to keep up their continuing professional
development. She told of creating a non principal GP tutor post, what you can
aim to provide, the institutions you can approach and various ways to make a
successful self directed learning group. Bitty Muller (West Midlands NP
education facilitator) then explained the learning cycle and helped the group
identify which kind of learner they were. Activists, pragmatists, and analysis
-paralysis were all described. All felt they had a better understanding of
their preferred learning style. She also described the many different ways to
learn, from groups, through reflection, to exams. Richard Eve (inventor of PUNS
and DENS) gave a humorous and irreverent presentation about his creation - a
tool to create your own educational portfolio directly from your patients unmet
needs. The session finished with lively questions and answers amongst the
group, who realised that there is so much more to education than we previously
realised.
BMA industrial officer Jeremy Pymer, in what was potentially
good workshop, failed to fully achieve his remit. Like Philip Leech, his
presentation wasn’t quite NP specific. Delegates felt input from a
grizzled NP veteran might have helped. It was felt he should have asked what
people wanted to find out - how not to get taken for a ride, or how to
negotiate better – rather than spend time on irrelevant stuff (e.g. the EC
working time directive, or the differences between statutory and non statutory
rights).
The two IT workshops were intended, via both informal and
formal presentations, to help overcome the barriers most beginners have about
computers and the internet. Participants, 50 in total, showed enthusiasm and
courage in pursuing a greater understanding of this intimidating subject. The
expert facilitators skilfully adapted their presentations to the needs of their
audience, within what were severe time restraints and did a sterling job. Their
friendly and approachable manner gave individuals the chance for some hands-on
experience and one-to-one advice throughout the day. Chris Cooper (of Computer
Service Centre, Norfolk) did a great job in providing and setting up the really
good equipment including four separate internet lines and Simon Berrisford
(Editor of epulse) oversaw on-line access and demonstrations of the epulse web
site. Waterstones bookshop provided, amongst a large range of medical and
non-medical books , relevant books on IT for the beginner. Much was learned on
the day to shape the IT workshops for future conferences! Definitely a success.
I think everyone one went away spurred on to buy computers, get on-line and
take over the world.
Modesty forbids my saying the stress
workshop went well – but other people tell me they never thought
there’d be anyone more manic than me. However, Martin Davies
(professional stress facilitator and mental health trainer) was just that and
between us we exhausted our group, making them think a little between bouts of
laughter.
Mark Horsey’s (Director, Professions and Partnerships
Ltd.) “Independent financial advice for NPs” was good, but he assumed
a slightly higher level of knowledge than was actually the case and again might
have done better by asking what people wanted to know. Despite this, I think
his groups went away less naive about their finances.
I went to Amanda
Kirkby’s (Communications Director of Healthcall and media GP) portfolio
workshop – which was the most popular choice - and was amazed at the
breadth and depth of knowledge and experience the group encompassed. Delegates
were certainly empowered to the idea that they (if not every GP) are portfolio
doctors.
Maurice Henchey’s (Chief Executive Healthcall) overview of
what Healthcall does and what they could help NPs with, provoked much debate in
fuzzy time. His vision of continued support for the NASGP, both practical and
educational, was well received - his suggestion that Healthcall and the
NASGP
might set up a commercial venture was less so. This is obviously an area where
members have strong feelings and should rest assured that Council would not
enter into such dealings without full and frank consultation with the
membership.
Soap Box, as do all such events, brought strong feelings to
the fore. Debate ranged from whether the NASGP should become involved in cases
where NPs faced complaints from patients, to the inevitable name to replace
“non-principal”. As ever, time ran out before Conference could put
the world to rights, though at least delegates had their say. As to a name
change, one delegate felt Conference’s precious time shouldn’t be
wasted on such trivia and I’ll leave you with another (Principal)
delegate’s thoughts, “It’s slightly funny that although none
of us like the term non-principal I’ve got so used to it and associate it
with such a positive, incredibly successful bunch of people that it has lost
its negativity for me”.
Timing somewhat pressed Paul
Jenkins’ (Consultant in charge of the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital acute
medical admissions unit) run through the ER presentation of asthma, but
delegates managed to put off thoughts of bubbly and dinner, to at least try and
answer his questions. I can just imagine my working with Anthony Andrews in
Chicago – well, maybe not.
Dinner by the way was great, both for
food and fuzzy time, all topped off by Phil Hammond (leading candidate for
NASGP
Honorary President) being so funny he had my non-medical husband in tears.
I’m sure his speech was full of witty insights, as I remember telling him
so afterwards in the bar, but, not having my Palmtop with me, I didn’t
write any of them down. Good thing really, as not only would he have made fun
of me – did you realise he was busy filing away bits of delegates
behaviour for future use? – he’d probably sue me (media tart that he
is) for breach of copyright. Never mind, next year I’ll wear a disguise
and take a dictaphone.
Sunday morning’s early start did not put off
delegates, who braved the change of rooms admirably to find out how to run a
successful NP group – despite Nicki Mantel-Cooper (co-ordinator of West
Surrey NP group) and Alyson Lee’s (outgoing NASGP membership secretary and
co-ordinator of the Oxford NP group) stage fright. No doubt their efforts will
soon lead to NP groups sprouting throughout the UK – we shall rule
the world! Those NPs thinking of braving the transition to Principal were
treated to an excellent survival guide from Janice Oliver (outgoing
NASGP
treasurer and founder of the Glasgow locum group), Jan Campbell and Kirsty Husk
(active members of the Norfolk NP group). All three facilitators have seen
practice from both sides of the fence, which no doubt provided their group with
a blue-print for future use. I went along to the RCGP workshop, to heckle David
Haslam and Mike Knapton (GP tutor and course organiser in Cambridge) and was
surprised to find that most of the group did bother, in that most were
paid-up members of the College. David, as Chairman of the Exam board, probably
had an easier time than he had anticipated, but took away NPs views on the
College – both good and bad – to report back to
Council.
Question Time started deliberately late to allow for more fuzzy
time – a popular request. The panel faced fairly tame questions from the
floor, though I thought Peter Holden (Chairman, BMA’s Professional Fees
committee) and Maurice Henchey might come to blows at one point – perhaps
I should have put David Haslam between them. I have to admit that my feeling
like a rabbit caught in headlights helped cloud my memory of what pearls of
wisdom were spoken. Things I do remember, were the panels’ attempts at
conveying their pro-NP stance – especially Anne-Louise Kinmonth’s
(Professor of General Practice at Cambridge University) feeling that NPs were
such an energised group, unburdened by “baggage” - my disappointment
at not finding out exactly what the new pay rates would be and perhaps the most
important question raised – by the delegate who felt her needs had not
been met by the Conference – what was being done for NP education. The
answers to this question – which somewhat reassured the questioner -
carried us quite neatly to Richard Fieldhouse’s (Chairman,
NASGP) AGM
announcements and closing speech.
He told of how non-principals had been
treated as second-class GPs for years - to patients and practice staff alike we
have been "just a locum". His numerous examples of how this impacted on
non-principals, highlighted the strong temptation not to bother with CPD and
the development of a siege mentality.
Things are changing, we are slowly
becoming enfranchised. Through the NASGPs network of information and support,
individual grassroots GPs are helping to shape their future. We are making
people sit up and take notice. The DoH recognition that "GP" refers to
all GPs - principals and non-principals and full inclusion of
non-principals into the processes and structures of PCGs and clinical
governance, underlies its commitment to an inclusive policy.
However,
Richard warned that before we can become fully enfranchised, we still have some
way to go. Equality is still a major issue. The excluding factors of NHS
Superannuation, recognition of seniority and devolved clinical responsibility
by national registration, continue to place non-principals beyond the pale of
mainstream general practice.
Education and its funding remains a sore
point, one which must be tackled – for, as Philip Leech said,
non-principals cannot opt out of clinical governance.
Before closing,
Richard warned that we will all need to make compromises to achieve this. Both
as individuals and as an organisation, we need to work more closely with our
colleagues, to take on wider responsibilities of patient care.
But, from
being a reactive organisation, under Richard's Chairmanship, the
NASGP has
become proactive. This Conference must have left many happy people around the
country who no longer feel isolated and out on a limb. Barriers came down
extremely fast and there was a real camaraderie. It was great meeting up with
everyone, hearing what’s been happening and getting advise from others
about NP issues.
Conference would not have been such a success if it
were not for one man – Peter Harvey. Both by personal effort and great
leadership of local and national teams, he somehow managed to change a wobbly
plan into a concrete “event”. thanks Peter. Modesty will have him
tutting but I know he will be a kindly adviser to whoever runs the show next
year. All we need now is to build on our successes (and learn from our
mistakes), to make next year even better.
See you in 1999!
Tina Ambury
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