The College will use a multilateral approach to deliver relevant membership representation and services, writes Professor George Youngson CBE
‘Whilst we may have to live with financial austerity, clinical and intellectual prosperity must be our objective’ ‘What does the College do for me?’
This was one response from this year’s membership survey which indicated that many Fellows feel that they do not get value for money.
So what are we doing for you? And do you need or want it? Remember that the College, ultimately, is you, its Fellows and Members, who elect a council to represent your interests. Most members of Council are in full-time clinical practice and nine have Regius, departmental, or personal chairs of surgery. Altogether, the College Council represents most areas of surgery, and where it does not, we seek the advice of our Surgical Specialty Groups (SSGs).
With that composition, we work with sister colleges and engage in training issues through the JCST (Joint Committee on Surgical Training) and examinations through JCIE and ICBSE (Joint Committee on Intercollegiate Examinations and Intercollegiate Committee on Basic Surgical Examinations). These are traditional College activities, but perhaps they are devoid of the initiative and stimulation that Fellows and Members appear to want.
The survey suggested that we need to provide more educational courses. Interestingly, none of the last three annual conferences have sold out. So, either we’re choosing the wrong topic, holding conferences at the wrong time, or the survey did not match up expectations with delivery.
Our educational portfolio does show initiative. ESSQ is growing yearly and meets a real need for basic clinical sciences for young surgeons through a versatile e-learning platform, and that formula is all the more important given the recent suspension of funding of the e-learning strategy by the Department of Health. David Smith, the Wade Professor of Surgical Studies, will head up the Education Department and develop areas such as expanding our course portfolio, improving access to training facilities in the College, and through an outreach programme, assisting Fellows deliver their own specialty courses at a local level. Surgical educators have been neglected by the NHS and Professor Chris Bulstrode is leading work on the restoration of status into the role of an educator or trainer.
Standard-setting, of course, is at the core of our existence, and we must face the challenge of maintenance of standards in a culture that has moved into financial containment. The rate of consultant expansion of the last few years is going to slow or stop. The predicted 2013/14 trainee bulge will be difficult to accommodate unless early retiral (possibly provoked by revalidation and changes to pension plans) provides an outlet for these graduates of the first MMC intake; and the emerging bottleneck between the end of core training and the start of specialist training makes for uncertain manpower planning, career choices, and skillmix of the workforce.
These highlight a need for us to represent our Fellows and Members. Our communication channels are improving, but distilling the variety of opinions of Fellows and Members is the real challenge. We have tried to be sensitive to the needs of generations X, Y and Z. We have our iPhone app and our Facebook page but that does not equate to policy development. We still need the commitment of our Fellows – be that at examinations, SSGs or training courses.
There is an expectation of leadership on items such as revalidation, patient safety, and curriculum development. It is our responsibility to demonstrate that leadership and, whilst we may have to live with financial austerity, clinical and intellectual prosperity must be our objective. The multilateral approach of scholarship, health advocate, collaborate, communicator, professional, manager, and medical expert – the Canadian Medical Education Directives for Specialists (Canmeds) – must be amongst the attributes we use to tackle the challenges posed for us in meeting your need.
Professor George Youngson CBE, Vice President for Professional Affairs
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