Self-nominations sought for the position of BGS Vice President Clinical Quality

The Vice President Clinical Quality plays a crucial role within the British Geriatrics Society, leading work on clinical quality. This is a wide-ranging and senior role with scope to influence the provision and quality of care provided to older people in the National Health Service.

 
The VP Clinical Quality chairs the Clinical Quality Committee (CQC), setting a clear workplan for the term of office, working with the committee on specific projects, such as the development of new practical resources or publications, and planning BGS conference sessions on quality improvement and inputs to NHS or other organisational consultation or document. The VP keeps a watching eye on the 14 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and ensures the BGS’s expertise is deployed to comment on reports from standard or guidance-setting bodies. The VP keeps up to date with developments in geriatric medicine, and identifies opportunities for the BGS to influence practice across different care settings and professions. As VP, you would work closely with the BGS Chief Executive and the Scientific Officer, who supports the VP, the CQC and the SIGs. You would attend BGS Board meetings, although you would not be a charity trustee.
 
This is a great opportunity to take on a strategic role in the BGS, developing your skills in leadership, communication and influencing and giving you an overview of geriatric medicine that would provide an ideal springboard into other national roles. The job has a wide span, so it is important that you feel comfortable delegating work to others and prioritising what will be most useful and relevant from the many possible opportunities the BGS could pursue.

You will…

  • Be an experienced geriatrician (of any discipline background) and a member of the BGS
  • Be an experienced chair and enjoy multidisciplinary teamwork
  • Be able to think strategically about the BGS’s role in providing expertise on clinical quality matters and on the guidance, resources and information it should produce or signpost to in order to help members to improve their practice
  • Have experience of clinical governance and quality improvement within the NHS
  • Be comfortable engaging with peers and external stakeholders across the wide span of geriatric medicine
  • Be keen to take on a leadership role in the Society

Through this role, you will be able to...

  • Influence provision of quality of healthcare provided to older people across different settings and the four nations
  • Contribute to national policies, programmes and resources aimed at improving healthcare for older people
  • Oversee the provision of and input into practical resources and guidance that will make a real difference to how healthcare professionals deliver care to older people
  • Gain experience chairing the BGS Clinical Quality Committee and acting as a Board member of the BGS

Term

The Vice President Clinical Quality will serve for three years, taking office in January 2022, when the term of office of the current Vice-President, Dr Jugdeep Dhesi, ends. This is a voluntary, unpaid role, although travel costs and other expenses will be covered (in accordance with the BGS expenses policy). You will receive a free place to attend a BGS national meeting each year.

Duties

Role Purpose
To lead the BGS’s work to promote high standards of clinical quality in the healthcare of older people by developing knowledge and improved practice. This will involve:
  • Reviewing and refreshing the Clinical Quality Strategy and annual workplan on a regular basis, in consultation with the CQC, Trustees and officers
  • Commissioning the development of and issuing appropriate guidance and practical resources on standards and best practice
  • Facilitating the development of work to support the membership in quality assurance and quality improvement
  • Overseeing the development of clinical quality resources on the BGS website though BGS publications, hubs and signposted resources, with regular reviews of content
  • Facilitating the sharing of good practice between BGS members. This will involve supporting the selection of clinical quality abstracts and the design of sessions at the national scientific meetings
  • Leading on liaison with external stakeholders in matters of clinical quality such as NICE, SIGN, NHS Benchmarking and the Royal Colleges. This liaison will range from attending meetings when appropriate for specific agenda items through to overseeing BGS responses to consultations
  • Chairing the Clinical Quality Committee (at least four meetings per year- may be more depending on current issues) including setting the agenda, overseeing and delegating work and ensuring actions are followed up
  • Attending the Trustee Board (four meetings per year), reporting on matters of clinical quality and contributing on matters of strategic importance
  • Acting as BGS media spokesperson on matters of clinical quality (as appropriate and once media-trained)
  • Overseeing specific sub-committees or working groups to pursue the above responsibilities
  • Maintaining broad oversight of the 14 Special Interest groups as part of the BGS’s deployment of its clinical quality expertise
  • Attending and actively participating in at least one of the two BGS national scientific meetings per year
Working collaboratively with other officers in pursuing the BGS’s strategic objectives.
 
Time Commitment
 
The VP Clinical Quality attends
  • Clinical Quality Committee (4 meetings a year)
  • BGS Trustee Board (4 meetings a year)
  • RCP/BGS officer meetings (2 meetings a year)
The time commitment will not normally exceed 2 days per month, but this can be spread unevenly.

How To Apply

Self-nominations are invited, in the form of a letter and short career summary. The letter should give a brief indication of how you would approach the requirements of the role. Candidates will be invited to an interview to discuss their application.
 
If you would like to discuss the role, please contact Mark Stewart (020 7608 8575), who will put you in touch with the BGS CEO, Sarah Mistry, or the current VP Clinical Quality, Dr Jugdeep Dhesi.
 
The closing date for expressions of interest is midnight on 15 October 2021. Submissions via email to Mark Stewart at M [dot] Stewart [at] bgs [dot] org [dot] uk.