In June 2019, I had the
privilege of attending the European WONCA (World Organisation of Family
Doctors) conference in Bratislava to present my fellowship project. This
conference was attended by 1,919 delegates from all over the world and provided
me with a fantastic opportunity to meet primary care clinicians and hear about
their health care systems in places such as the Netherlands, Poland and
Australia. The conference included several thought-provoking sessions and a
chance to meet inspirational primary care leaders, including the incoming RCGP
President, Dr Amanda Howe (pictured in the photo) and Dr Val Wass from the UK.
This world platform for
primary care enables good practice to be shared and challenges to be addressed
together. I was particularly struck by the powerful advocacy role that such an
organisation can play to improve primary care for patients in countries around
the world. To have the opportunity to learn about policy development and to
create a world-wide network of inspiring colleagues has been invaluable to me.
I was reminded of how fortunate we are in the UK to have the NHS, a health care
system which is the envy of many countries, and we must strive to continually
improve it. I intend to share this learning when I return to general practice
shortly.
I would highly
recommend this conference to interested FLP fellows, particularly to attend the
Young Doctors pre-conference as it enables interaction with GP trainees and
newly qualified GPs and encourages future collaboration. I would like to
sincerely thank Dr. Susy Stirling, the Future Leaders Programme and my
supervisors, Dr. Gemma Ashwell and Prof. Laura Stroud, for this unforgettable
experience.
