Read the highlights of key issues discussed at our most recent meetings on 12 and 13 March 2020.
Welcome to Country
Together with the Chairs of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Committee (ATSIHC) and Māori Health Committee (MHC), we updated the College’s Welcome to Country to better reflect that the meeting was being held across multiple sites. It now reads:
We acknowledge the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation as the traditional owners and custodians of the land from which this meeting is being held from. We extend our respect to all Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Māori people – including those present today – and value the importance of their ongoing connection to land, sea, sky, and community. We pay our deepest respect to Elders past present and emerging. And together we re-state our shared commitment to advancing Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Māori health and education as core business of the College.
COVID-19
We noted most College staff have shifted to work from home. IT have been working intensively to facilitate this. There is an impact on work across the College, particularly in the Education Learning and Assessment area.
Member welfare and advocacy for members is also an important component of the work. Staff welfare has been addressed in letters to all State, Territory and NZ Health Departments.
New telehealth items will assist many members in staying safe and will also assist in maintaining continuity of care for patients.
We noted much of the College work can be done remotely, to maintain business as usual.
The College has a Pandemic Plan which recognises the major risks related to COVID-19. The focus has been on the immediate response, the longer view will be considered as part of the risk assessment.
Major decisions around Congress and Convocation were considered. The College will be liable for costs if it withdraws from Congress, resulting in a $530,000 to $750,000 loss, as this is not an insurable event.
The Fellowship and Congress Committees are reviewing options to run some virtual programs.
The RACP COVID-19 Examinations Advisory Group was established and provides expert advice to the College on the management of examination delivery as a result of COVID-19.
Noting a number of Colleges have cancelled or postponed exams, a decision has been made to postpone the Divisional Clinical Examination.
Member workshops have been converted to virtual meetings and will count towards CPD. Many contingency plans for training and education are being put in place.
It was agreed that the exams be postponed until late 2020, as approved by the College Education Committee.
We discussed the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and the Annual General Meeting (AGM), agreeing that the meeting be held from Sydney and Auckland online, as a result of the consequence of COVID-19.
It was resolved to:
- cancel Congress 2020 in Melbourne and offer a smaller virtual Congress 2020
- approve the postponement of the May 2020 Convocation Ceremony
- note arrangements underway to manage subsequent ceremonies scheduled to be held in 2020
- approve the AGM be moved from Melbourne to Sydney and Auckland and the EGM be held in Sydney and Auckland and both online as a result of the impact of COVID-19
It was resolved to approve the following exams being postponed until at least late 2020:
- Adult Internal Medicine Divisional Clinical Examination (Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand)
- Paediatrics and Child Health Divisional Clinical Examination (Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand)
- Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFRM) Adult Medicine Fellowship Written Examination – Modified Essay Question and MCQ Papers
- AFRM Paediatrics Fellowship Written Examination – Short Answer Question and MCQ Papers
- AFRM Module 1 Written Examination
- AFRM Module 2 Clinical Examination
Effective Governance report
We requested oversight of the implementation of the Effective Governance recommendations and that monthly reports and decisions be provided, requesting monthly meetings to discuss and agree progress.
Financial report
The external auditors, Grant Thornton indicated the College has a general surplus of $3 million largely as a result of investment earnings.
They reported that the operational and balance sheet position and the core activities of the College have not really changed. The funding is consistent with the prior year.
EGM and AGM Notice of Meeting
We have approved the AGM Notice of Meeting and Explanatory Notes, the President’s covering letter and question form, and decided the AGM would be held from Sydney and Auckland and online due to the impact of COVID-19.
AMC accreditation
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) confirmed the College had met all ten accreditation standards. The AMC established one new condition and extended the timeframe for three existing conditions.