A welcome (but windy) return to Glasgow

Over 1,400 GPs and other primary care professionals battled the gale force winds and downpours of ‘Storm Babet’ to head to Glasgow for this year’s RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference

Professor Kamila Hawthorne made her inaugural address as College Chair, launching our new manifesto, Seven steps to save general practice and safeguard our NHS, ahead of the General Election. She also used the opportunity to call for an end to the ‘denigration of general practice and the demonisation of GPs’ by some politicians and certain sections of the media.

For the first time, the conference also hosted a ‘Spotlight’ session with three speakers all giving a different perspective on health inequalities. Dr Mohammedabbas Khaki kicked things off with an account of the work he’s done with global volunteering network Who is Hussain? He was followed by Javed Moore, who has cerebral palsy and gave an account about how he’s worked with his practice to improve accessibility – and finally Dr Carey Lunan, former RCGP Scotland Chair addressed conference about her work with the Scottish Government and ‘deep end’ practices.

Other highlights included a thought-provoking – but often humorous – plenary by disaster recovery expert and Durham University Professor Lucy Easthope, and an ‘interview’ with Dame Carrie MacEwen, Chair of the General Medical Council, in which Kamila quizzed her on issues related to general practice, not least the regulation of Physician Associates.

The annual ‘Question Time’ and ‘Ask the Chairs Anything’ session with our leaders of the Devolved Nations were a popular draw as always, and Dame Clare Gerada gave her final speech to RCGP members before stepping down as President, reflecting on her 25 years on College Council and her long career as a GP in South London.

As well as plenary sessions, the conference included a packed programme of seminars, workshops and discussions including the importance of sustainability in general practice; the management of diabetes with evolving therapies; innovation in primary care’s approach to diversity; treating antimicrobial resistance, and menopause care.

Crucially, amid the ongoing pressures in general practice, it was a chance to network, meet old friends and make new ones.

We look forward to seeing you in Liverpool next year from 3-4 October, and please join us for our virtual event, A vision for General Practice, on 2 May 2024.