Professor Dame Jane Dacre opened her final conference before stepping down as president by welcoming the packed hall to Innovation in Medicine 2018, and inviting them to experience the full programme of events, sessions and debates that will be taking place over the next 2 days.
She acknowledged the recent ST3 recruitment issues and thanking the trainees affected for their ‘patience, resilience and pragmatism’, adding that ‘when mistakes do happen, it is the actions we take that define us’ and also highlighted the diligent work with partner organisations and commissioning bodies the RCP had undertaken in rectifying the ST3 situation. Professor Dame Dacre continued by saying: ‘this difficult period underlined to me just how stressed and on-the-edge many of our trainee colleagues feel.’
With the recent announcement from the government that it would be increasing NHS funding I believe power is beginning to listen.
Professor Dame Dacre also used her speech to reiterate the role of the RCP in its 500th year, underlining its role in setting standards of education and training, advising the government and the public on medical issues, and maintaining the fellowship of physicians as ‘a forum, a meeting place, a spiritual home, a place where physicians can gather, discuss, debate, and decide policies and actions’.
She concluded by saying that the RCP’s ultimate role was to speak truth to power, adding ‘With the recent announcement from the government that it would be increasing NHS funding I believe power is beginning to listen.’
