Theroyal College of General Practitioners the British Journal of General Practice
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The Journal of TheRoyal College of General Practitioners The British Journal of General Practice Editor Volume 31 Number 230 September 1981 S. L. Barley, FRCGP General Practitioner, Sheffield Editorials Editorial Board Reforming Section 63 515 The general practitioner and the x-ray department 517 S. J. Carne, OBE, FRCGP, DCH General Practitioner, Diet and diabetes 518 London Every child a wanted child 519 A. G. Donald, MA, FRCGP General Practitioner, Membership of the College Edinburgh Obtaining and maintaining membership: a Council D. G. Garvie, FRCGP discussion paper RCGP 521 General Practitioner, Newcastle, Staffordshire Radiology D. J. Pereira Gray, OBE, MA, FRCGP Joint Working Party Report on Radiological Services for General Practitioner, General Practitioners RCGP and RCR 528 Exeter J. Tudor Hart, FRCGP, DCH Terminal care General Practitioner, Terminal care in the home G lyncorrwg Philip M. Reilly and Mary P. Patten 531 J. C. Hasler, FRCGP, DA, DCH General Practitioner, The future of medicine Sonning Common 2010 Marshafl Marinker 540 J. G. R. Howie, MD, PH.D, FRCGP Professor of General Practice, Medical anthropology University of Edinburgh Disease versus illness in general practice D. H. Irvine, OBE, MD, FRCGP, Cecil C. He/man 548 General Practitioner, Ashington, Northumberland Compliance Written advice: compliance and recall Victoria A. Gauld 553 C. R. Kay, CBE, MD, PH.D, FRCGP General Practitioner, Manchester Medical education Systematic use of closed-circuit television in a general 1. G. Tait, MA, FRCGP, MD General Practitioner, practice teaching unit W. George Irwin andlon S. Perrott 557 Aldeburgh Why not? Statistical Adviser 1. T. Russell, MA, M.SC, PH.D, FSS Why not abolish partnerships? Lecturer in Medical Statistics, B. E. Marks and E. Williams 561 University of Newcastle-upon- Tyne News College news 562 Founding Editor Medical news 568 R. M. S. McConaghey, OBE, MD, FRCGP Letters to the Editor 570 COLLEGE NEWS SUMMARY OF COUNCIL said, a legitimate aim for doctors. On which plans to provide material for MEETING the President's recommendation, Coun¬ some of the 15 per cent of its output The fourth of the 1981 Council cil asked the General Purposes Commit¬ which channel 4 (ITV 2) will be legally meeting tee to look at the abstract and consider obliged to transmit. The College would met in the Long Room of the College at what the College should do. provide and medical knowl¬ 09.00 on 13 June 1981, with Dr A. G. prestige Donald in the chair. edge, with the company doing the re¬ Open University search and supplying the production Vocational skills. There is the chance of influencing training On the link with the Open University, the public in a worthwhile way at little Members heard from Dr Donald about the Honorary Secretary reported that he cost, and Council agreed to the pro- an important educational conference had had an enthusiastic response from posal. The programmes should be on the held two days previously at the College. the Vice Chancellor, and that good pro¬ air from November 1982 onwards. General practitioners, postgraduate gress was being made. deans, clinical tutors, representatives of Finance the Councils for Educa¬ Prevention Postgraduate Council then heard in sober silence a tion and DHSS officials met to discuss vocational training and continuing edu¬ Action on the Preventive Medicine statement from the Chairman about the cation for general practitioners, includ¬ Working Party's reports was discussed, state of the College's finances. Dr Don¬ ing the administrative and financial and Council agreed to the President's ald gave details of progressively mount- request to set up a working party with ing losses, which could rise as high as arrangements. In supporting what Dr 1982. He of the Donald had said at that four the remit: "to promote the implementa- £75,000 by April spoke meeting, measures need for dramatic and were stated Dr Per¬ tion of preventive in primary urgent action, principles clearly by and asked for a reversion to former eira that as care". Gray: first, general practice, of cash limits and a an must have the policies budgeting independent discipline, system by all College committees. He ultimate responsibility for its own gra- Channel 4 duate that decisions was concerned that the College's twin education; second, Several matters electronic were dis¬ of education and research should about the direction and amount of mon¬ pillars cussed the Council and not seem to be lost and that to be disbursed under Section 63 must during meeting, sight of, ey at of associated there was a lack of cohesion in be taken clinicians of our meetings committees, integrat- by working and Drs Bennison and Smail asked for activities towards common aims. would be seen as ing discipline ("It clearly Council's to forces with on the debate at the intolerable that surgeons, for instance, approval join Following pre¬ should have financial control of the an independent TV production company vious meeting of Council, Dr Donald postgraduate education of psychia¬ trists.or vice versa"); third, that the administrative structure should be democratic and locally based; and fourth, that committees should be inde¬ pendent, appropriately constituted and executive in their own right, without the constant risk that their decisions could be overturned by a parent committee. Black Report In considering an abstract of this report, which has been prepared by Professor David Metcalfe, Council were reminded by Professor Marinker of the problem which always exists when a discussion becomes political: there is a boundary between personal political views and a 'political' stance adopted as a result of one's professional life. In other words, Council should look for the members' views as doctors, not as doctors of a left or right political viewpoint. Dr Stuart Carne argued that general practitioners could act for individuals, but would go beyond their remit if they tried to re- shape society. Dr Clare Ronalds felt that she could speak for trainees, who re¬ garded themselves as going to look after populations as well as individuals: ac¬ tion in and for the community was, she 562 Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, September 1981 College News spoke about some decisions that had Prestel. The College would be responsi- From November there will be vacancies been taken about strategies for the 80s. ble for the content of the meetings and for two trainee observers. He proposed that the education and for providing tutors as group leaders; Observers attend Council meetings, POC committees should be disbanded the Wellcome Foundation would recruit which are held quarterly in London on and be replaced by an educational re¬ the participants and provide the Prestel Saturdays and last the whole day. The sources board, whose membership facilities. Council was satisfied about trainees, who must be associate or full would be drawn widely from within the the method, the educational implica¬ members of the College, are free to College as well as from appropriate out¬ tions and the feasibility of the scheme, comment on any subject that arises, or side bodies. and look forward to it starting later in to bring up matters that they wish to Council accepted Dr Donald's state¬ 1981. have discussed. They are there to repre- ment and agreed that, without money, sent the trainee viewpoint. the College would quickly come to a Publications One vacancy will be for one year only halt: financial must make us this year; the other is for two years. In stringencies Council heard of further economies on pause, Dr John said, and Professor future the periods of office will be for Fry the Journal if are all David Metcalfe asked for a which, they two years and will overlap: only one re-ordering save to in a of the Other mem¬ achieved, should up £10,000 trainee will be each College's priorities. full without loss of replaced year. bers spoke of the need to restrict the year, quality. Whilst the doctors selected must be activities to A small group is to look into what trainees at the time of observ¬ College's enabling general modern methods of data transmission becoming to achieve stan¬ ers on Council, they may complete their practitioners higher are to mean and not to do the work for them. (for example, Prestel) going term of office even if cease to be dards, for the A Prestel set has been they It was decided to ask the GPC to look at College. trainees during that time. installed at the how Dr Donald's paper might be imple- College. One of the trainees may be asked to be mented, bearing in mind that university the RCGP trainee representative on the departments of general practice might, Faculty reports Joint Committee on Postgraduate as Dr Paul Freeling suggested, be pre¬ Council was concerned to hear that the Training for General Practice. On this pared to become more closely integrated highly successful experimental vocation¬ committee, he or she will be one of two within the fabric of graduate education. al training scheme at Dartford, Kent, is doctors representing all trainees in the Further decisions were taken to raise likely to be wound up in its present United Kingdom, and this involves a the examination fee from 1 July, and to form, and that it will soon no longer be further four meetings a year in London. ask the AGM to consider a subscription possible to undergo a training which is The other trainee representative on this rise of at least £25. Council voted, by a split equally with 18 months in practice committee is nominated by the General large majority, not to ask members on and 18 months in hospital posts.