Rules and Regulations of the Pennine GP Learning Group
- We are an independent, not-for-profit organisation set up for the purposes outlined in our constitution.
- The Group is not affiliated to, sponsored by or influenced by any third parties or external organisation. Any mention of brands of medication, for example, should not be seen as promoting a specific brand over another. Rather, this would only be mentioned as an aide-memoire for clinicians in their daily practice.
- Any practising GP in the area is welcome to request to join our meetings. The group is not restricted to Locum GPs, although it may be that Locum GPs may find it more useful to join for support as well as for appraisal and revalidation purposes.
- There is no membership fee to join the group and members do not need to commit to the group for any specified length of time. Members would be expected to inform Dr Rukhsana Hussain of their plans to attend or not attend particular meetings.
- Once we receive your request to join, we will need proof of identity and verification of your GP status as well as your contact details to enable us to contact you with relevant information. We would require specific personal details from any GP wishing to join including name, email address, contact number, GMC number and place of work. A photo ID will also be requested unless you are known to the Founding Members of the group. Personal details will only be kept by the Founding Members of the group unless it is deemed necessary to share these with other members for the purposes of facilitating communication. In such circumstances, your verbal consent would be requested before doing so. We will take all reasonable precautions in maintaining the security of your personal details as per our privacy policy.
- Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that all requests to join the group will be accepted. In certain circumstances it may be necessary for us to refuse entry, for example, if there is a lack of room capacity to accommodate more than a certain number of members for a particular meeting. We would endeavour to inform anyone who we are unable to accommodate of future meetings which they may be able to attend, if they wished to do so.
- By joining the Pennine GP Learning Group, you agree to not undertake any action, legal or otherwise, which could bring the organisation or its Founding Members into disrepute. Specifically, you agree that you will not make any financial or legal claims against the organisation or its Founding Members and you agree to the terms and conditions outlined in this document as well as in the “Disclaimer” on our website. The Group does not accept responsibility for any errors which may occur in relaying information at meetings or on our website. It is the responsibility of individual practitioners to check information on which they base their personal clinical practice. The Group will not be liable or accountable for the actions or personal views of its members during or outside of meetings. These are wholly the responsibility of the individual(s) involved.
- The Group will not tolerate any form of discrimination or abuse, whether that be based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or otherwise. Any concerns about such behaviour should be highlighted to the Founding Members to enable them to take appropriate action.
- It is expected that all members would conduct themselves in a way befitting of a GP and as outlined by the GMC in “Good Medical Practice”. Patient confidentiality, for example, should be maintained at all times.
- Any disputes or points of differences between members would be expected to be dealt with amicably and resolved prior to the next meeting. If this is not possible then the relevant parties may be asked to leave the group.
- It is expected that we will arrange at least monthly face to face meetings but this may change depending on members’ individual timetables and venue availability. Please note that it may not always be possible to arrange meetings on dates and times which accommodate all members.
- A WhatsApp group was set up in July 2016 to facilitate communication regarding meetings/events as well as to share learning. The group is also a source of peer support. Any practising GP in the local area can request to join the WhatsApp group regardless of whether they are able to attend the face to face meetings. Conversely, there is no obligation to join the WhatsApp group if a GP only wants to attend the face to face meetings. Requests to join the WhatsApp group need to be approved by Dr Rukhsana Hussain who is the “Admin” for the group.It is expected that all contributions to group discussions be respected, regardless of one’s personal opinions/stance on a topic. Members are reminded to conduct themselves professionally and in a way befitting of a GP at all times when posting comments.The WhatsApp group is a safe forum for its GP members. Members should not share comments/posts from the group on to other forums or with others except to share learning. Specifically, any member found to be sharing comments for the purposes of maligning other GP members would be asked to leave the group.It is well known that debates and discussions can become heated at times, especially on social media forums. GPs are advised to give their colleagues the benefit of the doubt when interpreting comments in these situations.In the unlikely event that there are genuine concerns regarding any specific comments/members (for example, where patient safety is in question) then GP members can highlight these to Dr Rukhsana Hussain in confidence who will endeavour to look into the situation and take appropriate steps to resolve the matter.
- Dr Rukhsana Hussain is responsible for booking venues. Details of meeting dates, venues and topics are shared via the WhatsApp group. Members are expected to honour the rules and regulations of any venue which is used for the purposes of Group meetings.
- Content/agenda of meetings: This would be expected to be decided before the meeting and each member advised to prepare accordingly. Some members may prefer to be more active in their participation in the group than others. Members can discuss their wishes with Dr Rukhsana Hussain in confidence.It is hoped that meetings will be conducted in a safe environment, with a light-hearted atmosphere to facilitate openness and learning. All members will be respected and treated with a non-judgmental attitude.
Possible content of meetings could include:
- Case based discussions
- Prescribing updates e.g. MHRA update/formulary
- Consultation skills
- Significant Events analysis
- Presenting clinical topics e.g. regarding a common/uncommon condition
- Clinical Guidelines e.g. NICE guidelines regarding relevant topics
- Presenting/discussing a journal article of relevance to General Practice
- Career support/advice
- Relevant news items to General Practice
- Any other topic related to General practice that members feel is appropriate.
- The Pennine GP Learning Group is expected to be an evolving entity and its Founding Members welcome feedback as to how to improve the organisation and website.
- These terms and conditions may be amended at any time by the Group and it is recommended that you check them from time to time to ensure that you are aware of the terms you are agreeing to.
- The founding members reserve the right to ask anyone acting, or thought to be acting, contrary to the rules and regulations of this group, to leave at any time.
Last updated 24th August 2019.