The GMC in Northern Ireland - Recent activity
This page contains bulletins about recent GMC activity in Northern Ireland.
GMC exhibit at the SDLP Party Conference
Staff from the GMC NI office attended the SDLP Party Conference in the Ramada Hotel, Belfast on 5 and 6 November.
GMC staff met with party leader Margaret Ritchie MP MLA and spent some time with her. The staff also spoke with SDLP Health Committee members Tommy Gallagher MLA and Mary Bradley MLA, as well as new MLAs Conal McDevitt and Pol Callaghan.
Delegates expressed an interest in the introduction of Revalidation and a variety our core ethical guidance. The conference provided a good opportunity to engage with Westminster MPs, Assembly members and constituency office workers. A range of GMC guidance documents and patient publications were distributed.
GMC staff also used the opportunity to engage with a range of healthcare organisations, patient groups and other regulators among the 61 organisations exhibiting at the conference.
Photo above: GMC staff member Alan Walker (Head of Northern Ireland Affairs) pictured with SDLP Party Leader Ms Margaret Ritchie MP MLA.
Revalidation Consultation
The General Medical Council published the response from our consultation on revalidation, along with statement of intent agreed with the four UK health departments. This was marked with a series of events around the UK, including Belfast on 28 October 2010.
Attendees were welcomed by GMC Council Member Dr Joan Martin, before Paul Philip, Deputy Chief Executive gave an overview of the statement of intent and how revalidation will be taken forward towards implementation in 2012.Kirstyn Shaw, GMC Head of Policy (Revalidation) at the GMC gave a presentation on the revalidation consultation responses. Kirstyn outlined the support given to the proposals plus concerns and issues raised that we will be addressing in the months ahead.
Dr Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland also spoke outlining the commitment of DHSSPS working with the GMC and health and social care organisations to achieve readiness in Northern Ireland for the introduction of Revalidation.
Photo above: Paul Philip, GMC Deputy Chief Executive, addresses the audience at the Revalidation event held at the GMC Northern Ireland Office.
Launch of End of Life Treatment and Care Guidance
On 22 June 2010 the GMC Northern Ireland office hosted a lunch time event to mark the launch of our new guidance Treatment and Care towards the end of life: good practice in decision making.
The event was attended by GMC Council Members, doctor’s representatives, Chief Nursing Officer for Northern Ireland and other officials from DHSSPS, plus a wide range of patient and faith groups.
The guidance was developed over two years and involved an extensive consultation with doctors, patients and their carers, family members and health care teams. For the first time, the GMC has provided guidance on topics including advance care planning, responding to a patient’s advance requests for treatment and decisions involving infants and children.
A number of local organisations have also highlighted the guidance in ezines, newsletters and websites to increase awareness of its availability.
Tomorrow's Doctors Implementation Workshop
On 1 April 2010 the GMC ran a workshop in Malone House, Belfast to support Queen’s University Belfast School of Medicine in their implementation of the revised standards and outcomes in Tomorrow’s Doctors 2009, and to facilitate engagement with employers, post-graduate training providers and other stakeholders. Attendees at the event included:
The event was also attended by GMC Council Members Dr John Jenkins, Dr Joan Martin and Professor Jim McKillop.
GMC at the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis
Staff from the GMC NI office attended the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in the RDS, Dublin on March 6 and met with elected representatives including Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP MLA and Sinn Fein Party President Gerry Adams MP MLA. It provided an opportunity to highlight the consultation on Revalidation launched on March 1.
Niall Dickson launches Revalidation consultation in Northern Ireland
Niall Dickson, GMC Chief Executive visited Northern Ireland on Friday 5 March to meet with key stakeholders from the health and social care sector, the Department of Health, professional bodies and the private sector to launch the GMC consultation on 'Revalidation: the way ahead'. The consultation will run until Friday 4 June 2010 and provides an important opportunity for those with an interest in this subject to help shape how revalidation will be implemented. For further information on the consultation visit www.gmc-uk.org/thewayahead.
End of life treatment and care: Belfast consultation events June 2009
The GMC Northern Ireland office hosted two events on 10 June as part of the consultation process on the new draft guidance, End of life treatment and care: Good practice in decision-making.
The events, which were chaired by Lady Christine Eames, Chair of the GMC’s End of Life Care Working Group, provided an opportunity for those with an interest in end of life care, to give their views on the draft guidance and to identify any issues specific to Northern Ireland for further consideration.
The End of life treatment and care: Good practice in decision-making guidance is intended mainly for doctors, but may also help patients and the public, and other health and social care staff, to understand what they can expect from doctors involved in caring for patients who are dying. The consultation is open until 13 July.
GMC at Community Development and Health Network Event
Staff from the GMC Northern Ireland office attended the Community Development and Health Network Event on Saturday 21 March. It was a chance for the team to engage with hard to reach groups such as the LGBT community, ethnic minorities and in particular the Compass Advocacy Group who represent people with learning difficulties.
Rachel Heatley, a new addition to the GMC NI office, attended a series of seminars including a session hosted Malachai O’Hara from The Rainbow Project, an organisation which promotes the health and well-being of Gay and Bisexual men in Northern Ireland.
GMC Roundtable event on Tomorrow’s Doctors in Belfast
The GMC Northern Ireland office hosted roundtable consultation seminar on 25 March on the new draft edition of Tomorrow’s Doctors. It provided an opportunity for those with an interest in medical education to give their views on the proposed standards and outcomes for tomorrows doctors and to identify any issues specific to Northern Ireland for further consideration.
Tomorrow’s Doctors sets standards for knowledge, skills and behaviours of medical graduates and provides a framework for UK medical schools for their own curricula and schemes of assessment. The first edition was published 1993 and it was last reviewed & published 2003.
The fully subscribed event was attended by 23 delegates from a wide range of organisations including Queen’s University of Belfast, DHSSPS, BMA (NI), Northern Ireland Medical & Dental Training Agency, patient representatives and representatives of health boards and trusts. A number of medical students representing different years within Queen's University Medical School highlighted their views as those being taught under the current provisions.
GMC at Alliance Party Conference
Staff from the GMC Northern Ireland office attended the Alliance Party Conference on Saturday 21 March. The GMC stand was visited by the party leader Mr David Ford MLA and the party health spokesperson Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA and European Parliamentary candidate, Ian Parsley. A wide range of other delegates visited the GMC stand including MLAs, local councillors and a number of doctors.
Alan Walker, GMC Head of Northern Ireland Affairs discussing medical regulation with David Ford MLA, Leader of the Alliance Party at the Alliance Party Conference.