The organisers of the annual Rural Primary Care Conference in Mid Wales have expressed delight that 20 trainee doctors were among the 150 delegates for the popular three-day event this year.
Dr Martin Green, chairman of Montgomeryshire Medical Society (MMS), which organises the conference in partnership with the Institute of Rural Health, said it was a particularly healthy sign that young doctors were interested in a career in rural practice.
The conference, held at Gregynog Hall, near Newtown, included an inspirational session for the trainee doctors with Dr John Wynn-Jones and Dr Toby Tattersall about life as a country GP.
Dr Green also revealed that a couple of the young doctors had expressed an interest in getting involved with the MMS to organise next year’s programme.
"It was encouraging to see so many young people, at one of our most successful conferences for many years,” said Dr Green. “The delegates were enthusiastic, the speakers were informative and of a high quality. It is essential that rural areas attract young, training doctors to ensure the future rural workforce.”
Delegates from across the UK, including GPs, nurses and 25 practice managers, attended the event, which is designed to meet and address the learning needs of healthcare professionals working in rural primary care. An overseas visitor was Professor Sue Fyfe from Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
Topics this year included clinical leadership, revalidation, managing chronic pain, paediatrics and clinical skills.
The impending introduction of revalidation of doctors was a key topic addressed by speaker Rachel Podolak, the General Medical Council's Head of Welsh affairs on the first morning when Dr Peter Holden, General Practitioners Committee UK negotiator with lead responsibilities for finance and rural matters and vice chairman of the British Association of Immediate Care Schemes (BASICS), gave an inspiring opening address.
Colonel David Morgan-Jones, assistant director of Army Primary Health Care Services and a leadership fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners, spoke about clinical leadership. Dr Charles Shepherd, honorary medical adviser to the ME Association, focused on identifying
chronic fatigue and Owen Hughes, consultant psychologist with Powys Training Health Board, spoke about meeting the challenges of chronic pain in rural general practice.
Paediatrics was the topic for speakers on the second day, with contributions from Nick Nelhans, consultant at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Dr Lee Wisby, consultant at Glanclwyd Hospital and Professor Abdul Gatrad, consultant at Manor Hospital, Walsall, Dr Cora Doherty, consultant at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Helen Hayes, consultant in child and adolescent
psychiatry with Powys Training Health Board and Mr Nigel Kennedy, consultant in paediatric orthopaedics at Oswestry Orthopaedic Hospital.
Clinical skills occupied the final day's programme with a choice of workshops to attend including radiology in primary care, managing minor injury, ailments of the hand and wrist injury, latest developments in resuscitation, treatment options for Type II diabetes, respiratory and
spirometry techniques and the ECG workbook - lines from the heart.
Contributors were Dr Allan Parker, consultant radiologist and clinical director of radiology at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Dr Paul Metcalfe, a Brecon GP, Mr Simon Pickard, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Oswestry Orthopaedic Hospital, Dr Holden, Dr Carwyn Jones, a Carmarthen GP, Dr Bob Wilson from the Respiratory Resource Centre, Shrewsbury, Shirley Pickstock, respiratory special nurse with Powys Training Health Board and Carol Webb, cardiology nurse consultant at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals.
The conference is held during Rural Health Week, which this chose 'Developing Rural Resilience' as its theme.
