DSN took part in the ongoing BMA 'Listening and Learning' exercise where the organisation is looking at how to increase equality and inclusion in medicine. Representatives from a variety of organisations were present and discussion took place around legally 'protected' characteristics such as disability or race as well as non protected factors which might also affect doctors' ability to progress fully in their careers.

The UK Association for Physician Health holds an annual meeting and this one centred around discussion of the GMC Fitness to Practise process and its effect on doctors' health.  The key note speaker (about the current GMC review) was Prof Louis Appleby - pictured on the left with Kirsten Leslie from occupational health in Cornwall.  

The programme included an excellent talk from barrister Mary O'Rourke about her thirty years of experience of representing doctors in professional proceedings.  She reflected that in her experience the vast increase in GMC proceedings had resulted in leaders in their medical field not being seen by their peers.  Mary also spoke about doctors and insight reflecting that the majority of doctors are not found 'guilty' of the charge so accepting e.g. undertakings was not an outcome that most felt able to resign themselves to despite the promise of an earlier end to stressful proceedings.  She felt that this conflict can result in doctors being seen as lacking insight.