Royal College of General Practitioners

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• Royal College of General Practitioners

North of England Faculty Newsletter
The Paul Freeling award   Purpose - The Paul
Freeling Award was established in 2004 for
innovative or meritorious work in the field of
vocational training for general practice.   Many
students have been enthused or stretched by an
inspirational teacher. The Paul Freeling Award
recognises GP educationalists including trainers
within vocational training who have developed new
methods or gone the extra mile to deliver high
quality personal teaching to young doctors
preparing for careers in general
practice. Eligibility - The Paul Freeling Award
is open to Members or Fellows of the Royal
College of General Practitioners in good
standing.   Application is by nomination,
including self-nomination and includes a
description of the piece of work to be
considered. Download your Application form in PDF
Format. Only forms completed throughout in typed
format will be accepted. To complete the form use
the tab key to type in the relevant boxes. Please
note you will not be able to type any further
once you have reached the maximum number of words
allocated in each section.   You will not be
able to save typed information. Therefore, please
print copy for your record. Signed applications
to be submitted to the Awards Administrator. 
The award totalling 1,000 will be made each
year.  At the discretion of the adjudicating
panel, this amount may be awarded either to a
single applicant or shared by up to three joint
winners.   Closing date for the award 31st
August 2007.   For further details please
contact  Awards Administrator Royal College of
General Practitioners 14 Princes Gate Hyde
Park Tel [phone] Ext 233/285   London
Fax [phone] SW7 1PU Email
corpaffairs_at_rcgp.org.uk
RCGP Awards YOU should apply!
RCGP GP Registrar Awards these awards are made
for original and innovative projects undertaken
during vocational training in the UK. Awards are
between 400 - 1000. Closing date 31st July
2007 The Patient Participation Award up to the
value of 3000 to be used to benefit the patients
of a practice or to further patient participation
in the UK. Applications accepted from any member
of the practice team, patient group, or patient
of a practice. Closing date 31st July 2007.
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North of England Faculty Newsletter 2. Coaching
and GPs
Coaching and GPs

• Coaching is seen by many as the latest fad but
  what actually is it and when might a GP consider
  using it? There are many definitions of
  coaching but my preferred one is
• Unlocking a persons potential to maximise their
  own performance (Whitmore, 1996)
• Coach and client typically meet at monthly
  intervals for around ninety minutes and work
  using a number of important principles.
• The client has the resources to resolve his or
  her issues and has not come to be fixed
• The coachs role is to unlock the clients
  resourcefulness and not to give advice
• Coaching addresses the whole person
• The client sets the agenda so learning is
  tailored to the individual unlike on a training
  course
• The focus is on change and action
• This latter point highlights the key difference
  between coaching and counselling which is in
  terms of the emphasis within coaching on what is
  to be done, when, by whom and how much will there
  is to do it.
• So isnt that just mentoring might be the next
  question. This is of course a more familiar
  concept for doctors and there are many
  similarities. Traditionally mentoring has been
  provided by a more experienced professional
  within the same organisation so it has tended to
  have connotations of the older and wiser mentor
  providing support and sometimes patronage to the
  less experienced mentee.
• Coaching tends to be a relatively short term
  intervention over a
• period of months whereas mentoring may be more
  long term.
• Within either a coaching or mentoring
  relationship it is important
• to maintain a clear focus on boundaries and on
  having shared

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North of England Faculty Newsletter 3. Coaching
and GPs

• Anyone considering coaching will rightly be
  concerned with the qualifications and credibility
  of a potential coach. This is a loosely regulated
  area but there are recognised bodies such as The
  European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC)
  which exists to promote good practice and the
  expectation of good practice in coaching and
  mentoring. The EMCC has a quality award which
  aims to make qualifications and training widely
  and immediately recognisable.
• GPs may come across patients who have had
  coaching but when might they consider it for
  themselves? The following situations are based on
  my own experience of coaching GPs and other
  doctors.
• To help make life changes or decisions such as
  timing of retirement or whether to change job
• To regain work/life balance or make more
  efficient use of time
• To respond successfully to work or personal
  crises or to deal positively with change
• To develop interpersonal or leadership skills.
  This may become more of an issue as we all have
  360 degree appraisal in preparation for
  revalidation and are seeking ways to address
  issues that this highlights such as poor
  delegation or abruptness with staff.
• To support doctors in leadership roles both
  within their practice or outside such as in PBC
  groups or on Professional Executive Committees
• Many doctors will already be using coaching
  skills in a number of situations such as
  teaching, with staff and indeed in consultations
  where a coaching style can be used to support
  behavioural change. Based on the potential
  value within these settings many GPs might
  consider a short course to enhance their own
  coaching skills but might be more reluctant to
  consider coaching for themselves.
• Undoubtedly this is partly due to the time
  commitment and potential cost but it also seems
  to be due to ignorance as to what coaching is and
  a concern that having coaching is a sign of
  weakness. Hopefully this article has reduced some
  of the ignorance but what about any potential
  stigma? Perhaps this is best considered by
  contrasting medicine with other careers where
  having coaching is seen as a sign of status.
  Coaching is certainly not about weakness or
  failure. It is hard work for the client but has
  great potential for enhancing personal and career
  development.
• Steve Blades is a GP who has trained as an
  executive coach at practitioner level. He offers
  one to one coaching and also runs workshops on
  topics such as time management, delegation and
  chairing meetings.
• www.stevebladescoaching.co.uk
  steve_at_stevebladescoaching.co.uk 07764196398

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North of England Faculty Newsletter 4. Book
Reviews

• The Patient-Doctor Consultation in Primary
  Care.
• What was done - This book is an update of where
  we are with understanding
• consultations between doctors and patients. There
  is a chapter on consultation models,
• a focus on current topics (e.g. sharing
  decisions) and current challenges and a chapter
• on some specific strategies.
• Boxes of text and bullet points are used in a
  number of ways e.g.
• To recount anecdotes
• To list suggestions
• To outline exercises
• What I liked - Well researched and referenced,
  with a nice layout and narrative style.
• Some practical stuff and some thought provoking
  stuff. Clearly rooted in the experiences
• of the authors.
• What I didn't like so much - I am turned on by
  practical ideas, so I was only fully
• engaged in parts. The subjects chosen for focus
  seemed a bit eclectic i.e. I wasnt quite
• clear about inclusion and exclusion criteria. The
  narrative style was on the wordy side for

Telephone Consultations in Primary Care. What
was done - The book is in three sections. The
first deals with principles applicable to
consulting by telephone. The second with the
perspective of particular consulters (nurses, GPs
etc) and the third with the management of
specific presentations. What I liked - The first
chapters were interesting background to the
specific challenge of using the telephone for
clinical encounters. There was evidence of wide
reading by the author and of referencing of ideas
and facts. The focus on the individual consulters
made sense too. And the author is clearly a
teacher, for there were many, useful exercises to
try (solo or in groups). What I didn't like so
much - The presentation. The writing style was
not so comfortable as with the other 2 books
here. Masses of information was presented and
sometimes the coherence was lost. More use of
text boxes in the first 2 sections would have
pleased me. And when boxes WERE finally used (in
Section 3) then too much information was crammed
into them, in a similar format to the ordinary
text, thus loosing their benefit. Several of the
exercises were transcripts of real conversations.
These seem like a good idea and probably are, if
used as a study aid. But again, the presentation
of the transcripts (in the middle of the text)
was disruptive in my estimation.-
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North of England Faculty Newsletter 5. Book
Review
The Naked Consultation. What was done -
Subtitled a practical guide to primary care
consultation skills, this book grew out of the
course manual for training that Liz Moulton led
for GPs in the Yorkshire Deanery. The aim is
achieved for me. Part one deconstructs the
consultation and takes it in stages, from start
to finish. Part two concentrates on learning to
become a better consulter. What I liked - The
practical focus worked very well for me. This
book has immediately entered my top 5 all time
consulting books (out of interest, along with
Pendleton, Neighbour, Skills for Communicating
with Patients and Field guide to the Difficult
Patient Interview). I learned many new skills and
facts, of immediate practical relevance to the
job. The writing style is efficient yet
engaging. Frequent use is made of boxes and
diagrams and there is something about the
production that is more engaging and professional
than in either of the RCGP books. What I didn't
like so much - The reference base is thin and in
particular, Liz draws on NLP for many ideas
this remaining an unproven technique (albeit one
with ideas that in many cases do gel with common
sense). I would have liked to have seen a wider
range of influences and more references. Summary
- You can probably tell that I rate The Naked
Consultation highest of all of these.
Nevertheless, they all have merit. The
Patient-Doctor Consultation... is a very
up-to-date look at the key themes in primary care
consultations, which is nicely written and well
referenced. Every teaching practice should own
it. Telephone Consultations in Primary Care is
full of data and is the only UK based textbook on
the topic. Every practice and OOH organization
should own it. NB some advertising blurb rates
this as the first book of its kind. This is not
strictly true the book Telephone Medicine
Triage and Training for Primary Care by Katz is
a US book covering similar ground. I prefer the
protocols in that book to be honest and would
commend it to all primary care organizations
too. The Naked Consultation is very well laid
out and has a clear and practical focus. In my
opinion it is a must-have. Every primary care
clinician (doctor, nurse, other) should own it.
Book reviews by Dr Malcolm Thomas North of
England Faculty Chairman
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North of England Faculty Newsletter 6. Annual
General Meeting
Annual General Meeting and Andrew Smith Lecture
This years Annual General Meeting will be held at
Lumley Castle on Monday 19th November 2007.
Standing proud for more than 600 years, the
magnificent spectacle of Lumley Castle dominates
the County Durham landscape. Surrounded by
beautiful parklands overlooking the River Wear
and Durham County Cricket Ground, Lumley Castle
is a magnificent monument to a bygone age of
chivalry and honour. As last years AGM and
speaker was a success we are hoping to carry on
the good work of our guest speakers with
Professor Raymond Tallis, below is a small piece
prepared to entice.
The Triumph of Medical Science and the Paradox of
Anti-Science   "The beneficial effects of
science, and in particular medical science, on
life expectancy, health expectancy, and comfort
expectancy is self-evident, though the facts (to
be described in the talk) are even more
extraordinary than most people realize. Even so,
there is a rising tide of hostility towards
science and a pessimism about the capacity of
science to solve the problems that humanity
faces. Why is this? The talk will  examine
the basis  of anti-science, the lure of magic
thinking (in particularly in alternative
medicine), the dangers they present and what
should be done to address them. By Professor
Raymond Tallis.
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North of England Faculty Newsletter 7. Education
and Training
Well Known Secrets of Time Management A half-day
workshop that will allow participants to Learn
about principles of time management Improve
their work-life balance Identify their roles in
life and set practical personal goals Recognise
how they can be more efficient Reduce
procrastination Identify what they can delegate
and how Spot what they can dump
This workshop is presented by Steve Blades who
has been a GP in Gosforth since 1989. Formally, a
GP trainer and Chair of the Professional
Executive Committee, Newcastle PCT he has
recently trained as an executive coach. Time
management is one of his areas of
expertise. Background A common complaint is of
being too busy or of not having time to do what
you want or need to do. Given the pressures of
clinical practice this is hardly surprising but
there is frequently more that you can do about it
than you first imagine. This workshop introduces
a number of different approaches to time
management. A key part of time management is
being clear as to what you wish to achieve.
Participants will go through a process of
identifying roles in their lives and then setting
goals appropriate to these. Using a mixture of
presentations and individual or small group
exercises participants will then move on to
identify time stealers and how they could make
more effective use of their time. Common issues
that emerge at this stage are delegation and
procrastination and these will be explored to
allow participants to be clear on specific steps
that they can take to be more efficient. Finally
we need to recognise that it may still be
impossible to do everything and so some roles or
tasks need to be dumped. In summary Do,
Delegate, Dump Participants will be provided
with a workbook that will support them in making
positive change in their lives.
We are please to offer this Time Management
Course on 5th September 2007 _at_ 1400 -
1700pm. 10th October 2007 _at_ 1830 2130.
Applications for this course are available online
_at_ RCGP North of England Faculty events and sent
with the September newsletter, or please contact
the Faculty office. Course provide on a first
come first served basis.
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North of England Faculty Newsletter 8. Education
and Training
DERMATOLOGY
Psoriasis and Eczema 'The presentation will
highlight key management points, and the use of
newer treatments to help provide optimal care for
patients with eczema and psoriasis' Lasers in
Dermatology The first lasers used to treat skin
conditions occurred over 40 years ago. In the
last 20 years major advances in laser technology
have revolutionised their use in the treatment
Birthmarks and Moles that matter. An overview
of birthmarks and moles with clinical
significance. Highlighting the ones that are in
need of urgent attention.
Wednesday 24th October 2007 Durham Cricket
Club Members fee 75.00 Non-Members fee
95.00 Suitable everyone in the health
profession. Leaflets and booking forms will be
sent in the September newsletter. Or to book a
place early please request a form from the
faculty Office.
Increase your Effectiveness (and reduce your
risk) A one-day consultation skills
workshop 09th October 2007 at Collingwood
College, Durham. This ever popular course will
be our fourth. We know that skills
identification, rehearsal, observation and
feedback can lead to effective behaviour change
for clinicians. Consequently reducing your
medico-legal, clinical risk and increasing a
clinicians effectiveness. Therefore these skills
aim at the same goals. Using these insights the
workshop will present key messages from the
literature, and structures exercises for the
participants that will allow them to change their
consultation behaviours in a more effective
direction. Therefore can you afford to miss this
course? Suitable for - Established or in
training doctors, nurses and allied clinical
professionals who wish to extend their own
consultation skills. Prices are 100 for RCGP
members
120 for non-members Tea and
coffee will be supplied and a hot buffet lunch
served. For more details of the course or to
book your place early, please contact the faculty
office to request a leaflet. Booking forms will
be sent out in the next newsletter. Dr Malcolm
Thomas will be Facilitating this event. Courses
first come first served basis. Refunds will incur
a 10 fee. No refund if cancelled 14 days or less.
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North of England Faculty Newsletter 9. Education
and Training
Enhance Your Telephone Consultations Recent
studies show that around 20 of daytime primary
care contacts with patients are on the telephone.
This figure is rising, affecting us all.
Hospitals are using the telephone more to reach
out to patients and heavy and increasing use is
made of the telephone for emergency care. The
challenge is to understand what the patients
concerns might be, as well as collecting the
clinically important information, without the
usual clues available by being able to see the
patient. Unsurprisingly, telephone conversations
are also a significant source of complaints and
even lawsuits. Our seminar introduces some
interesting evidence and allows the group to
process it with facilitated discussion. Group
exercises allow the participants to examine some
of the important messages and to reflect on their
own experience, before moving to rehearsal of the
specific skill areas that will most repay
development you will leave with enhanced skills
for handling these contacts with patients. Half
day seminar to enhance your Telephone
Consultations Wednesday 5th December _at_
Collingwood College, Durham. 0900 1230
Reduced costs available for booking both
Seminars. Booking forms will be sent in the
September newsletter or contact the Faculty
office. Promoting Effective Behaviour
Change The health agenda is moving more and more
towards prevention of ill health and maintenance
of health. So, whether it is the management of a
chronic condition (e.g. diabetes, hypertension)
or the targeting of specific behaviours (e.g.
smoking, drinking, alcohol, and loosing weight)
consultations are increasingly likely to address
patient behaviour. However these sorts of
conversations are frequently mentioned (by
doctors, nurses allied professionals) as the
most frustrating they have with their patients.
How can we target our time efficiently whilst
retaining effectiveness with patients? There is
an increasing research base to show us which
behaviours help. In this seminar, we introduce
some of the most significant evidence and allow
the group to process it with facilitated
discussion. In particular, the techniques of
Motivational Interviewing have much to offer
are explored. Group exercises allow the
participants to examine some of the important
messages, moving to rehearsal of the specific
skill areas that will most repay development.
Participants will leave the seminar with the
enhancement of some particular skills for these
conversations with patients. Half day seminar
Promoting Effective Behaviour Change Wednesday
5th December _at_ Collingwood College, Durham. 1330
1630. 60.00 for members, 70.00 for
non-members or a reduced cost of 100.00 for
members both seminars and 120.00 for non members
for both seminars.
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North of England Faculty Newsletter 10. The
Common Wealth Fund
THE COMMONWEALTH FUND HARKNESS FELLOWSHIPS IN
HEALTH CARE POLICY AND PRACTICE The
Commonwealth Fund is pleased to invite
applications from the United Kingdom for the
2008-09 Harkness Fellowships in Health Care
Policy and Practice. The Harkness Fellowships
provide a unique opportunity for mid-career
professionalsacademic researchers, government
policymakers, clinicians, managers, and
journalistsfrom Australia, Germany, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom,
to spend up to 12 months in the United States
conducting a policy-oriented research study,
working with leading U.S. health policy experts,
and gaining an in-depth knowledge of the U.S.,
U.K., Australian, Canadian, Dutch, German, and
New Zealand health care systems. Applicants
must demonstrate a strong interest in health
policy issues and propose a study within the
scope of The Commonwealth Funds principal areas
of focus health care system performanceincluding
access to care and insurance coverage, quality
and patient safety, efficiency, and equity
quality of care for vulnerable populations, e.g.,
low income families, children, the elderly, and
minorities and patient-centered primary care.
Two additional U.K. fellowships were
established in 2004 through a partnership with
The Health Foundation. The Harkness/Health
Foundation Fellowships are specifically targeted
at practitioners who already have demonstrated a
strong interest in health policy development and
implementation. Once selected, the Fund will
provide extensive support to successful Fellows
to help them develop and shape their research
proposals to better fit the context of the U.S.
health system. Through its network of contacts,
the Fund will help identify and place Fellows
with mentors who are experts in the policy areas
to be studied, e.g., at Harvard University,
Stanford University, University of California at
San Francisco, Johns Hopkins University, Kaiser
Permanente, Veterans Health Administration,
Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), RAND,
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and
Group Health Cooperative at Puget Sound. A
peer-reviewed journal article or policy report
for Health Ministers and other high-level policy
audiences is the anticipated product of the
fellowship. Harkness Fellows have published their
findings in leading journals, including British
Medical Journal, Health Affairs, Health Policy,
International Journal for Quality in Health Care,
New England Journal of Medicine, and Quality and
Safety in Health Care. Building on their
fellowship experiences, Harkness Fellows have
moved into senior positions within academia,
government, and health care delivery
organizations, making valuable contributions to
health policy and practice at home and in the
United States. In addition, Harkness Fellows
become part of a strong international network,
with opportunities for ongoing cross-national
collaborations and research. Each fellowship
will provide up to U.S. 107,000 in support,
which includes round trip airfare to the United
States, a monthly stipend, travel to a program of
Harkness seminars and policy briefings,
project-related travel and other research
expenses, health insurance, and U.S. taxes. In
addition, a supplemental allowance is provided to
Fellows accompanied by a spouse and/or children.
For application materials, eligibility
criteria, and more information about the Harkness
Fellowships, please visit www.cmwf.org/fellowships
or contact Robin Osborn, vice president and
director of the International Program in Health
Policy and Practice, at The Commonwealth Fund,
One East 75th Street, New York, NY 10021, U.S.A.
(Tel [phone] or Email ro_at_cmwf.org).
The deadline for receipt of applications from
the United Kingdom is September 4, 2007.
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North of England Faculty Newsletter 11.
Fellowship
Nominate Yourself for Fellowship!
Be Proud Have pride in the good job that your
doing, making a difference to patients care.
Self-nomination replaces Fellowship by
Nomination and by Assessment. It is relevant to
all types of GP including part time and portfolio
GPs. Enabling doctors with varying backgrounds to
show they have added value to their practice and
be commended for it! If you have been a Member
of good standing of the RCGP for five years or
more YOU ARE eligible. The new route of
Fellowship recognizes the varying career patterns
of our members and its new design is relevant to
portfolio or part time GPs as to full time
principals. You can register in one, any or
all of the six categories of achievement. You
will need a referee for each category and give a
personal statement your past and
current activities. This must be detailed and
verifiable. The six categories and things that
count are Clinical Practice the standard is
higher if you submit only in this area than if it
is part of your submission. Satisfactory appraisal
s, QOF points, accessibility, continuity of care,
significant event analysis etc. all
count. Patient Centered Practice. Patient
Satisfaction surveys, thank you letters, changes
made due to patient involvement, participation
groups, courses on consulting skills, negotiating
skills, MRCGP video pass, Leadership RCGP work
at Faculty , national or international level,
PCOs, healthcare bodies, medico-political
work. Teaching and Education 3yrs as a GP
trainer, undergraduate teacher, FY1, 2
supervisor, also being a Course Organiser, GP
tutor etc. National assessment role, appraiser
etc. Innovation publications, practice
innovations. Research PhD, MD, publications
research posts etc. For more details contact
fellowship_at_rcgp.org Or the college website
www.rcgp.org/Membership-support.
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North of England Faculty Newsletter 12. Contact
details
The new College logo has gradually been phased
in, yet our College crest is very much in
existence. The use of the crest will be used for
more formal events such as the Annual General
Meeting and Certificates.
The Faculty Board is growing! North of England
Faculty Board Members
Professor Paul Creighton Provost Dr Malcolm
Thomas Chairman Dr Dinah Roy - Hon
Secretary Dr Ahmet Fuat - Hon Treasurer Dr
Valerie Taylor - Council Rep Dr Gopal Munisamy
GPRs Rep Dr Iain Lawther Dr Toby Lipman Dr
John Bookless Dr John Leigh Dr Manjit
Suchdev Dr Thomas Poyner Dr Ashley Liston Dr
Elizabeth Kendrick
If you would like to contribute to your
newsletter with a possible a book review, or
something of interest to other GPs please
forward to
The North of England Faculty Office Miss Clare
Bartram The Surgery Spennymoor Co. Durham DL16
6YQ Telephone [phone] Email
cbartram_at_rcgp.org.uk You can also contact our
Faculty Board Members via this address. The next
Faculty Board meetings are September 10th 2007
_at_ Marriott Hotel November 12th 2007 _at_ Marriott
Hotel If you would like to attend please contact
the Faculty Office as places are limited.