|
European Society
of Contraception |
Newsletter
Volume
1 • Number 1 • 2004
Message
from Dr Alison Bigrigg,
President
of the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care, UK
Host Society
for the ESC Congress in 2004
It is with
great delight, I wish to welcome all members of the ESC to Edinburgh, Scotland,
UK for the 2004 ESC Congress from 23rd – 26th June 2004.
Immediately
prior to the opening ceremony on 23rd June at mid-day, the UK host
society the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care will hold
it’s Annual General Meeting. This will be an open session and all members of
the ESC are welcome. We wish to share experience of promoting education and
knowledge, standards and training in contraceptive and reproductive health care
with delegates from all over Europe.
As President
of the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care (FFPRHC), I have
been invited by the ESC to describe our organisation. A summary of our present
activity is given below, but I am most happy to answer any other queries.
The Workforce
in the United Kingdom
75% to 80% of
contraception is provided by general practitioners, 20% – 25% from specialists
working in the community family planning clinics with a small contribution from
hospital based gynaecologists and midwifes. All contraceptive services are
provided free of charge by the National Health Service. More detailed
information about the organisation of the workforce is available from our
Manpower Census which can be viewed on our web-site (www.ffprhc.org.uk).
Our
Membership
Our society
currently has approximately 11,000 medical members. Membership is obtained by
undertaking approved training courses, practical instruction and assessment to
obtain a Diploma of the Faculty of Family Planning (DFFP) or by passing the
Membership Examination (MFFP).
DFFP training
courses last for three days and most candidates undertake at least four
additional days of practical instruction within Family Planning clinics before
obtaining necessary competencies for award of DFFP. The MFFP Examination can
only be undertaken after significant experience of working within contraceptive
and reproductive health services. Part I is the multiple choice examination,
Part II consists of three separate papers, an objective structured clinical
examination, a critical appraisal paper and a short structured essay
examination. Candidates are also required to complete a dissertation or two
2500 word case studies.
Aims and
Objectives of the Faculty
The Faculty
was founded in 1993 with the following aims and objectives:
1)
To give academic status to the discipline of Family Planning
and Reproductive Health
2)
To develop and maintain standards within the discipline
3)
To promote interaction with related disciplines
4)
To provide information to support education in the
speciality
5)
To advance medical knowledge in the speciality
6)
To represent those working in the speciality
I now give
some examples of our achievements to date.
Academic
Status within the Discipline
In addition
to supporting the MFFP and DFFP examinations, we provide Certificates of
Competence for IUD insertion, contraceptive implants and instructing (training)
in the field of Sexual and Reproductive Health. We have recently developed a
Special Skills Module to certify competency in vasectomy procedures and the
provision of basic and advanced menopause services. In conjunction with the
RCOG, we run a specialist registrar training programme of 6 years duration
which leads to placement on the European Specialist Register as a Specialist in
Sexual and Reproductive Health Care. We also organise a 3 year module training
for doctors wishing to work as non-consultants within the speciality. Details
of syllabuses and log books of experience for both the 3 and 5 year training
programmes are available on the web-site. Training is only allowed in
designated centres with approved programme directors.
Maintain and
Develop Standards of Care and Training to Ensure High Quality of Practice is Maintained
by All Providers of Contraception
Specialists
within the United Kingdom have to provide evidence of competence every 5 years
in order to remain on the General Medical Council register which is required in
order to practise clinical medicine. We have produced a toolkit to support
practitioners undertaking revalidation within the speciality of Family Planning
and Reproductive Health. In addition, we have developed service standards for
all those providing contraceptive services. These include essential and
desirable standards on access, service provision, service leadership, training,
chaperoning, guidelines, confidentiality, record keeping, monitoring and
evaluation. We are also developing a policy for assisting authorities when an
investigation of a doctor’s performance is necessary.
Promote
Effective Interactions with Related Healthcare Disciplines
We work with
colleagues in general practice, obstetrics and gynaecology, public health,
genitourinary medicine and nursing organisations to ensure a broad and united
approach to standards and training within our discipline.
Providing
Information to Support Education
Our Society’s
Journal, the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care reaches
11,000 readers and professional libraries around the world. It is available in
electronic form and listed in Index Medicus. It aims to improve reproductive
and sexual health nationally and internationally by disseminating highest
quality research information which is relevant to clinical care, service
delivery, training and education in the field of contraception and
reproductive/sexual health.
We also
organise two large national meetings for three to four hundred delegates each
year. Local meetings are arranged by our affiliated groups.
To Advance
Medical Knowledge
Our Clinical
Effectiveness Unit is based in Aberdeen University, Scotland. This unit
provides an evidence based enquiry service, recommendations for clinical
practice and a review of new research/products. In addition in 2003, it published
a Consensus document for UK modification of the WHO Selected Practice
Recommendations. This was developed in conjunction with the UK Medicines
Control Agency and voluntary organisations such as the Family Planning
Association (fpa). These publications can be found on the web-site. In addition
to this independent unit, we also work with the Government’s National
Collaborating Centre for Women and Child Health to produce relevant guidelines.
Currently
most of our members are within the United Kingdom, but we are keen to extend
links with practitioners in Europe and elsewhere in the world. Please feel free
to attend our Annual General Meeting or visit our information stand at the
Congress in Edinburgh. It would be a pleasure to meet you.
Alison Bigrigg
President of
Faculty of Family Planning & Reproductive Health Care,
Faculty of
Family Planning & Reproductive Health Care,
27 Sussex
Place,
Regent’s
Park, LONDON NW1 4RG
Tel: 0207 724
5524
Email: [email protected]