This article1 by one of our esteemed former presidents and academic leaders sets out the history and continued challenges in ways we all recognise, but we want to challenge some claims made in the article. We disagree that the RCGP no longer inspires GPs. We are constantly working to engage with our members and non-members at all stages in their career. The NHS environment for GPs may be causing recruitment and morale problems, but the recent RCGP campaign has been our most successful ever, and we spread our active membership engagement ever wider through social media, conferences, and evidenced resources.
We do not understand the claim that the RCGP ‘abandoned’ its Research Committee — it chose to develop the Clinical Innovation and Research Centre (CIRC), which has a much wider remit and impact. Under the auspices of CIRC, the Research Surveillance Centre continues to publish weekly reports, and has just had its tender renewed for another 3 years; the Scientific Foundation Board awards research grants that are constantly generating innovative and highly relevant research. The College annually celebrates high-quality primary care research through its Research Paper of the Year award,2 and there is a huge regular opportunity for academic units to showcase research and its impacts on practice at both regional and national conferences.
Many current officers and clinical leads additionally hold or have held senior academic appointments; and they all work to encourage relevant, timely research and encourage interested colleagues to follow this path. The RCGP and the Society for Academic Primary Care have regular cross-representation, including with the heads of departments of general practice and GP teaching.
We assure the author that academic general practice continues to be at the heart of the RCGP. Thanks for the challenge — and we respect the lifelong effort made to make this all work, for which we are all grateful.
Notes
Competing interests
ACH was an officer of the RCGP until December 2015.
- © British Journal of General Practice 2016
