A ordinary meeting of the society was held on4thJanuary 2006. The President was in the chair. The minutes were read and approved. Dr John Glasspool the introduced the speaker, thanking him for coming and describing him as a staunch defender of doctors. Dr Willis then spoke to the title: The Paradox of Progress – are Doctors over regulated?
He said that doctors have to win the argument. We need to have independence if we are going to give the public what they expect from doctors and more than the administrators and politicians are willing to grant them. General Practice is a special branch of medicine. It is quite wrong, but easy, to think that everything reduced to a guideline is more efficient practice. He expanded on this. He went on to add that we need to keep technology in its proper place as the new culture was:
1. How rather than why?
2. Super specialist rather than Generalist
3. Training rather than education.
He considered the 14 old fashioned values of general practice were being lost; these included, A sense of duty,
Trustworthiness respecting confidence, To be independent and incorruptible, To wish to make people feel better, and to have High standards of appearance and behaviour.
His talk stimulated considerable discussion.
The President then proceeded with AOB. He said that the Members had now seen the new rules and he called for a vote. The proposal that the New Rules be accepted was proposed by Dr Hutchin and seconded by Dr Glasspool and the proposal was carried.
The President then announced that the caterers needed more notice of dining numbers and asked the members to phone Helen Maxwell sooner.
There being no other business the meeting was closed at 10.45 pm.