ROYAL COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGISTS BREAST GROUP

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

National Museum, Cardiff
5 pm 3rd November 2003

Chairman - Ros Given Wilson
111 Members in attendance

1. Apologies – none

2. Minutes of 2002 meeting – agreed as a correct record

3. Matters arising - not on agenda

a. Remuneration for Advanced Practitioner roles. Ros stated that some interim guidance on this has been posted on the website.
b. A lay representative Jenny Baldwin has been nominated from the Patient Liaison Group of the RCR, and has attended an executive meeting. She will be available to give advice and input from the PLG

4. Treasurer’s Report
Simon Daniell presented the accounts. Total funds are extremely healthy standing at £29, 476.63p.
A few members still paying by cheque were reminded to fill in a direct debit form if possible.

Membership – Total no. of members – 444

Ordinary – 373
Associate – 28
Honorary – 13
Retired – 13
Overseas – 17

The Group was reminded of the availability of funds for the Bursary, now £1500, and pump priming grants for Breast Imaging available through the RCR.

5. Officers
The result of the ballot for Vice –Chairman was announced. Dr Erika Denton was elected by a very narrow margin and was congratulated.
Dr Sue Barter had agreed to remain as Secretary for a second Term.

6. Honorary Membership
Professor Stuart Field and Professor Peter Maguire were nominated as Honorary members and this was unanimously agreed.

7. Bursary
The recipient of this year’s bursary was announced as Dr Miriam Buckley who has visited Las Vegas (Breast MRI and MRI-Guided Breast Biopsy in Clinical Practice: Set up and Implementation in Your Facility)

8. UKRC Workshops/Masterclasses:

Ros gave an update. There will be a session at UKRC sponsored by the Breast Group. The organisers have asked us to present a mock multi-disciplinary meeting with cases for discussion. This will help to raise the profile of the Breast Group among junior Radiologists.

Lazlo Tabar will hopefully put on a day masterclass aimed at SpRs sponsored by the Breast Group and possibly also by some funding from a pharmaceutical company.

Discussion followed. It was pointed out we offer prizes for both oral presentations and posters to encourage SpRs to submit presentations.
The Executive agreed to feed back to the RCR the additional benefits of a Breast Imaging attachment e.g. multi-disciplinary working, practical skills, breaking bad news and communication skills etc.

9. Meeting 2004
Janet Litherland was thanked for organising this meeting and Church House Conference Centre, near Westminster Abbey, London was announced as the venue for next year. Janet asked everyone for suggestions for topics and urged everyone to complete the feedback forms. The proposal to have three or four fixed venues for future scientific meetings on rotation was discussed.

10. Critical Incidents
Dr Sue Barter gave a brief powerpoint presentation on the Critical Incidents notified so far and encouraged further submissions. Members were reminded that a totally anonimised form was completely acceptable. A summary of the results to date will be notified to the Big 18, Network, and posted on the web-site.

11. Disclosure of Audit
The third draft had been circulated to all members of the Breast Group. Comments had been collated and submitted to Julietta Pattnick.
Ros discussed with members how to get the symptomatic service integrated into the process.

12. European Training
MW gave a brief summary of progress of producing a united training syllabus in Europe.

13. Any Other Business
a. NICE Guide on Breast Cancer Follow up – SD produced a set of bullet points. These will be posted on the web and circulated with the next Breast Group newsletter.
b. NICE Guidance on Familial Breast Cancer – Dr Barter stated that this will be available on the NICE website.
c. Hodgkin’s disease – approximately 2000 women with Hodgkin’s disease treated in childhood with Mantle radiotherapy are at risk of breast cancer. RGW has been part of a working party to establish a system for screening these women. The working party is recommending screening for older women, and MRI for the younger women. It is likely the MRI screening will be picked up by those Units who have experience with MRI breast screening. Robin Wilson pointed out the numbers likely to need MRI were very small. MW has produced an information leaflet on screening for these women and will make it available on the website. CACU have offered to record data.
d. SD described the GOING FORA website. He pointed out that fliers were around the exhibition area and that patient imput was needed.
e. Tom Walker suggested that retired members should have the option of attending the Annual dinner as a good way to keep in touch with old friends. This was resoundingly seconded by Stuart Field and we look forward to seeing them at future dinners.
f. Dr Mandy Havard asked about the job planning process for the new contract and its relationship to workload statistics. It was pointed out that job planning is not workload. The symptomatic survey has been sent to the College newsletter and Simon and Hilary will put together some guidance for the website.
g. PERFORMS – There was a query from the floor as to whether it was really necessary to do PERFORMS every 6 months, some units find it very disruptive. Discussion followed, the conclusion being that with requirements for appraisal and accreditation it seems logical participation in PERFORMS should be encouraged.

Ros then formally handed over the Chairmanship to Peter Britton. She was thanked for her great contribution as Chair and flowers were presented. The meeting closed at 6.23 pm.

14. Date of next meeting
Monday 1st Novemer 2004