BGS Strategy 2020-23: Member survey results

A total of 202 people responded to the survey BGS Mission & Strategy 2020-2023: Have your say, which ran from April 8 to June 14 (approximately 10 weeks). It was promoted at the BGS Spring Meeting, and via the BGS website, social media, newsletter and e-bulletins.

Who responded?

Of the 202 participants who took the survey, 168 were BGS members and 34 were non-members. Those who selected that they were non-members were excluded from answering any further questions.

The majority of respondents (51%) were Consultants in Geriatric Medicine, 13% were SpR/StRs and almost 9% were nurses. Other responses were spread thinly (2-5%) between GPs, SAS Grades, FY/CMTs, AHPs, researchers and retired Consultants.Respondents were concentrated mainly in England (83%), with 9.5% in Scotland and 3% from Wales and Northern Ireland respectively.

How important are BGS activities to members?

Members were asked to rate the following eight key BGS activities from 1-5, with 1 being ‘not important whatsoever’ and 5 being ‘extremely important’:

  • Supporting my professional development with CPD-accredited learning [CPD]

  • Providing tools, guidance and research to help me improve clinical quality [Clinical Quality/Research]
  • Maintaining a high-quality peer-reviewed research journal, Age and Ageing [Journal]
  • Organising meetings, conferences and events for learning, collaboration and communication about older people’s healthcare [Events]
  • Providing opportunities for me to learn, share knowledge and collaborate with my peers through groups and resource development [Groups/Resources]
  • Strengthening training curricula for trainee doctors and other health professionals [Education and training]
  • Providing a space for collective policy action to improve how healthcare for older people is delivered in the UK [Policy]
  • Providing information and updates [Communications]

Members felt most strongly that events (60%) and policy (60%) were ‘extremely important.’ When responses for ‘quite important’ and ‘very important’ were taken together, 97% felt that events were important, 91% felt policy was important and 90% felt that clinical quality/research was important.

Percentages of respondents who rated the other functions as important ranged between 83-87%, which suggests BGS members value all of its areas of activity highly.

Taken as a weighted average, adjusted for all rankings, activities are ranked in the following order:

  1. Events (weighted average score 4.56)
  2. Policy (weighted average score 4.50)
  3. Clinical quality/research (weighted average score 4.43)
  4. = CPD (weighted average score 4.36) 
    = Journal (weighted average score 4.36)
  5. Education and training (weighted average score 4.32)
  6. Communications (weighted average score 4.26)
  7. Groups (weighted average score 4.24)

What did members say?

When asked why they had given their response to the above question, members were given the chance to explain in their own words. Seventy one people left comments. The word cloud to the left shows the most commonly-used words. All the below were mentioned between 3 and 23 times (the larger the word, the more mentions it had).

 

 

 

There were many comments that all of these activities and functions were important and that it was a struggle to single any one out as a priority:

  • “All of these activities are equally important and make the BGS relevant”
  • “All the above keeps me updated, connected and have a sense of belonging/sharing with like minded individuals”
  • “The BGS has many important roles and it’s hard to say which is more important.”
  • “Difficult to answer as all the items are important”
  • “All are important!!”
  • “Difficult to decide what is most important as they are all important areas.”

However one strong theme that emerged was the role of BGS in supporting professionals, particularly in terms of multi-disciplinary working:

  • “The BGS is a great platform for multi-specialty collaboration between people from different disciplines as it has members not just from one specialty and it has representatives from primary and secondary care”
  • “I believe the BGS plays a vital role in supporting and guiding healthcare professionals. It is important the care of older people is recognised as a specialism.”
  • “There is a need to support those providing health care to older people in all above fields and BGS is striving to address all of them”
  • “I believe that improvements in my own clinical practice has been as a result of collaboration with other professionals within the BGS and that is why I feel conferences and opportunities to meet with others is so important.”
  • “I believe providing a space for collective policy action to improve how healthcare is delivered in primary and secondary care, including in nursing homes, is of utmost importance.”
  • “Obviously useful to collaborate with colleagues and education. However its those specialties who don't care about these people that we need to address.”
  • “I think for me the key BGS roles are to further the profession and care of older people through any means.”
  • “I also think it is a collaborative society which should be congratulated and strengthened”

Most felt that this was best achieved through a combination of education, training, research, information providing/sharing and policy influencing. More broadly, policy in particular was mentioned by many as an important place to start in bringing about the changes needed in health, social care, training and workforce.

Other members focused their thoughts on what they can gain from the BGS as individuals. These centred mainly around events, CPD, resources and information or updates, perhaps suggesting the financial value of membership:

  • “Vital source of CPD and policy guidance.”
  • “Would prefer more online based resources as most of meetings are held in London”
  • “I find the updates /briefings sent through Facebook means that I keep up to date with current policies, information, research on a daily accessible basis”
  • “I value the comms eg GCA for Primary care”
  • “The BGS should focus on being a 'go to resource' for guidelines, tool kits etc on all aspects of medicine for older people”
  • “It is a resource for networking, training and influencing policy!”
  • “Developing the workforce- both training and CPD for existing professionals is core business”
  • “Very useful to have a reliable ‘go to’ resource for updates etc. Blogs and newsfeeds are an efficient way to keep up to date”
  • “Regularly flagging up items is helpful”
  • “The BGS should be seen as a reliable and authoritative source of information”
  • “Any of the BGS conferences I have been to have been excellent - progressive with a wide range of topics and speakers.”
  • “Most CPD is not relevant so when the BGS do something useful it's very helpful. They should do more”
  • “This enables me to keep up to date with important information”

How can the Society have the most impact and influence?

The second part of the survey addressed how members felt the society could have most impact and influence. As before, respondents were asked to rate eight areas by importance on a scale of 1-5 (with 1 being ‘not important whatsoever’ and 5 being ‘extremely important’).

These areas were:

  • Seeking to ensure government policy on health and social care responds to the needs of older people [Policy]
  • Strengthening the evidence base on geriatric medicine through the generation and uptake of high-quality research [Research/Evidence]
  • Delivering highly effective meetings and events, often in partnership with others [Events]
  • Increasing its public profile, through policy commentary, social media and wider media [Communications]
  • Encouraging trainee doctors, nurses and other health professionals to specialise in the healthcare of older people [Promotion of geriatrics]
  • Building skills and knowledge through training curricula and wider understanding of frailty [Training]
  • Improving tools, resources and information about clinical practice associated with older people’s healthcare [Information/Resources]
  • Working with others to reduce avoidable diseases and conditions of older age through prevention/early action programmes [Prevention]

More than three quarters (75.6%) of respondents said that policy influencing was ‘Extremely important’, with almost as many (73%) giving the same importance to encouraging people to specialise in the healthcare of older people.

A huge 98% said that policy influence was either ‘Extremely important’ or ‘Quite important’ in terms of the BGS having the most impact and influence.

Very few people rated any of the options as ‘Not important whatsoever’ or ‘Not particularly important’ with between 1-6% given these ratings across all of the categories, indicating that members feel the BGS can potentially have impact and influence in all areas.

Taken as a weighted average, adjusted for all rankings, areas of potential influence are ranked in the following order:

  1. Policy (weighted average score 4.72)
  2. Promotion of geriatrics (weighted average score 4.68)
  3. Research/Evidence (weighted average score 4.55)
  4. Training (weighted average score 4.46)
  5. Events (weighted average score 4.45)
  6. Information/Resources (weighted average score 4.42)
  7. Communications (weighted average score 4.32)
  8. Prevention (weighted average score 4.19)

What did members say?

The free text field once again gave the opportunity to leave comments; 58 members answered this question, and the most frequently-used words are displayed below, repeating many of the same themes as the previous section (see wordcloud to the left).

 

 

Policy influence was ranked the highest in terms of where BGS might have the most impact and influence. Particular areas where it was suggested BGS might focus this policy influence included bringing attention to issues of an ageing population, social care, commissioning of services and prevention:

  • “the BGS should be at the forefront of Older people’s health and care policy and practice ,working in conjunction with other organizations and government to ensure inclusion for this specialist group”
  • “BGS is central to driving forward the agenda for older people and ensuring this is heard at national level”
  • “It needs to fast forward and future change its policies and training in keeping with the fast moving changes in society and recognise that prevention of non-communicable diseases is important in delaying or reducing frailty”
  • “The Society needs to be at the forefront of policy and decision making relating to all aspects of health and social care for older adults.”
  • “The BGS must aim to ensure that government policy on health and social care responds to the needs of older people. This potentially requires a coordinated response across multiple central government departments, not necessarily limited to DHSC, and providing local clinicians with the evidence base to influence design and commissioning of integrated local services.”
  • “I see our remit as ensuring that all clinicians have basic understanding of aging, ensuring aging and end of life are addressed in all public policy and training curricula”
  • “The BGS needs to develop a higher profile with the public, politicians and other professional bodies to lead on the debate on how deliver high quality affordable care for older people and make sure this is everyone’s business but our area of expertise”

One prominent theme was the role of prevention and healthy ageing, particularly in the context of managing an ageing population. Patient education was given as an important aspect of this, along with evidence, service redesign and influencing. However a small number noted that this issue, while important, fell outside of the scope of the BGS:

  • “Primary prevention - best to start much earlier than in the age group geriatricians usually see”
  • “Someone needs to take the lead in changing public policy to respond to a changing demographic. The BGS has the expertise - politicians don't so need to partner with the BGS to produce effective change.”
  • “Public health approach is important”
  • “Difficult in my job but teaching the ageing population is important. Getting their attention and not being too technical- you are ageing now expect this and do that to help”
  • “We are as geriatricians best placed to think about and guide prevention and patient education measures”
  • “More influence on public policy vital; note we are the BGS, not the British Frailty Society; prevention much neglected and hugely important”
  • “I would like to see the BGS leading the way among medical societies in effective, evidence based prevention of chronic diseases using intensive lifestyle change approach.”

Another common theme was that of the promotion of collaborative working and workforce planning through training and development:

  • “All important and particularity the multidisciplinary approach”
  • “BGS needs to continue its work to improve undergrad and postgrad training in care of older people across specialities. Particularly important that surgeons, anaesthetists and general physicians have some elderly care training built into their curriculum.”
  • “To grow as a specialty we need to encourage more people to take an interest in geriatric medicine.”
  • “Improving training opportunities for those who already or aspire to work with older adults is so important with our ageing population”
  • “The high level policy and sharing of evidence, research and collaboration is the USP”
  • “I see our remit as ensuring that all clinicians have basic understanding of aging, ensuring aging and end of life are addressed in all public policy and training curricula”

Summary

The results from this survey strongly suggest that BGS members value all of its activities highly, and that they are optimistic about what the BGS can and should achieve on a wider scale. Responses also indicate that there is a strong feeling and sense of recognition that an ‘upstream’ approach - through policy and education - is required to bring about the kinds of changes that the BGS should be focused on (namely, improving healthcare for older people). There is also a sense that patients and their experience of health and care are as important to members as the quality and effectiveness of interventions themselves. Multi-disciplinary and collaborative working were frequently mentioned as both a strength and a challenge for BGS, highlighting the need to continue to look beyond geriatrics and geriatricians.

While prevention was ranked as the least important area of influence for BGS, it was mentioned frequently in the comments, which may suggest that there are particularly strong feelings among those who feel the Society should prioritise this area.