The SAPC Dangerous Ideas Soapbox

At a time of significant change and challenge in the world of primary care, we need critical creative ideas to help  find solutions. SAPC has recognised the need to expand the capacity for  blue sky thinking and basic research in primary care. Conferences  offer a key opportunity to bring people together – to create a ‘festival for ideas’, stimulating new conversations and new thoughts as well as critiques of existing ideas.

So in 2012, SAPC launched its Dangerous Ideas Soapbox - drawing inspiration from the model started at the Sydney Opera House and St James Ethics Centre which brings speakers together to raise “important questions…as a catalyst for sharp and vibrant discussion”.

Now in its 4th year, the SAPC Soapbox is intended to encourage new ideas and fresh debate, with some fun on the way too.

• A Dangerous Idea is something which challenges, but also demonstrates a commitment to action… to making a difference. An idea is not dangerous if it stays in one person’s head.
• Speakers have 3 minutes to pitch a Dangerous Idea – outlining their idea, why it matters and how they will make it happen. The audience are asked to vote for the best idea - the one that they most feel needs to be heard. We ask them to chose an idea that is new (challenging, even provocative); that recognises and resonates with the vision of driving improvement in primary care through scholarship; and has the potential to make a difference.

The Soapbox has inspired our international colleagues to run similar events.

SAPC Dangerous Idea submissions are invited annually, launched at the same time as the call for abstracts for the Annual Scientific Meeting.

Find out more by reading our past winning ideas. You can also contact the Soapbox Chair Professor Bob McKinley or Soapbox founder Joanne Reeve.

2016 round up of all the idea is here The winning idea came from Antony Chuter, arguing that it is time for a revolution in community pharmacy. Equal 2nd prize went to Austin O'Carroll arguing that medical community discrominates against the homeless, and Sarah Alderson who proposed that GPs shouldn't prescribe opiods except in terminal illness.

2015 winning idea: Health research should be crowd-funded through Kickstarter

2014 winning ideas: 1st - Addressing antibiotic resistance with the Krapsule  2nd - Involving patients to improve Significant Event audits  3rd - Virtual GP: replacing GP training with an app

2013 winning idea: Make physios, not GPs, front line gatekeepers for musculoskeletal problems.

2012 winning idea: Bring death back to life!