Heads of Department (HODs) group

The HODS group is responsible for overseeing the strategic and practical support for primary care academic activity within its member departments.

HODS is made up of the heads of departments of general practice and primary care in medical schools in the UK and Ireland. The Chair is Dr Euan Lawson and the Secretary, Dr J udith Ibison.

HODS meet formally three times a year with regular email communication between. The Chair of HODS is a member of the SAPC Executive and the Chair of SAPC attends HODs meetings.

Twitter handles of HODs institutions

The WiseGP map provides an overview of all the centres of scholarship in the British Isles.

Next meeting

TBC

HODS Constitution

The group shall comprise the heads of departments of general practice and primary care in medical schools in the UK and Ireland; hereinafter referred to as the HODS group.

In general HODS (as HODS, rather than as individual academics) are mainly involved in the following tasks.

Managing the resources of university departments
Building academic capacity, including support for individual academic careers
Promoting the role of academic general practice and primary care within medical schools
Leading local programmes of high quality, mainly undergraduate, but also postgraduate education in general practice and primary care
Leading local, national and international programmes of high quality research and development in general practice and primary care
Linking with NHS general practice and primary care, mainly via local education and research networks

Aim

To support the development of general practice and primary care via university centres of excellence in research and education.

Objectives

To provide academic support for the generalist clinical function
To promote multidisciplinary university centres of excellence in research and education for general practice and primary care
To integrate university centres within broader networks for education, research and service development in general practice and primary care
To influence national policies concerning academic medicine and academic general practice and primary care
To provide mutual support for heads of department

Activities

sharing information and experience
co-ordinating reviews and the development of policy advice
responding to requests for advice and comment
advising other bodies on matters affecting university centres of general practice and primary care

The group works as a confederation of individuals with common responsibilities in different university contexts. The group may agree particular positions and policies on matters affecting academic general practice and primary care but decisions of the group are not binding in relation to the discharge of local responsibilities

Chair: Dr Euan Lawson

Secretary: Dr Judith Ibison

Admin: office@sapc.ac.uk

Immediate past Chairs of HODs group

(2020-2023) Professor Joanne Reeve, HYMS

(2017-2020) Professor Mike Moore, Southampton

(2012-2017): Professor John Campbell, Exeter