A (retired) Trustee’s perspective: looking back on 20 years at FPM
Posted on: Tuesday 14 January 2025
I have had the professional pleasure of working as an FPM Board Trustee, in various capacities, for over 20 years. Having recently demitted from my most recent post as Registrar, I wanted to briefly reflect on the main changes that I have observed as a working Trustee within FPM, but also highlight the truly tremendous opportunities and potential changes for FPM and its membership! I will end with a big ‘plea’!
I joined the FPM Board in 2004 with Professor Brian Gennery as President and since then have worked with many subsequent Presidents (Drs Brian Gennery, Susan Bews and Keith Bragman, Professors Alan Boyd and Tim Higenbottom, and Dr Flic Gabbay, most recently) and their Boards. There is no doubt that much of the work and successes that FPM has achieved in that time could not have been carried out without our extraordinary membership – I have been delighted to note its growth over the past 20 years, especially in the expansion of membership categories (particularly in the ‘Affiliate’ category). As all Presidents have emphasised during their terms in office, it is the professionalism, time commitments and expertise displayed by all volunteers over the years that has marked out and shaped the value of FPM for patients and to the scientific community.
Each of the Presidencies was of course shaped by the politics of the day, but as a Trustee it was always interesting to note how each FPM Board considered, proposed, reacted to and communicated different proposals and policies to the membership. For me, some special highlights included Professor Gennery describing the first Clinical Trials Directive to the Board and his fellow College Presidents; the introduction of Higher Medical Training within FPM also featured in that term. The subsequent launch of revalidation and annual appraisals was deftly handled under Susan Bews’s excellent leadership; I also recall much work and preparation on the Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice (GPMP) guide under Dr Keith Bragman; during both Professor Alan Boyd’s and Tim Higenbottom’s tenures, there was increased emphasis on expanding FPM membership globally. Dr Flic Gabbay’s reflections on her term are well documented in her recent blog (1).
In more recent years, I was fortunate to be appointed as the FPM Treasurer (2013-2019) and subsequently as FPM Registrar (2021-2024). Both roles featured their challenges as well as highlights. Among the challenges were the annual battles to ensure that all available income streams could meet the ever-increasing rivers of expenditure. The ‘rivers’ were sometimes quite overwhelming, but thanks to remarkably close financial scrutiny and prudence, we have successfully navigated these challenges in recent years! As Registrar, I was delighted to lead the work on amending the criteria for potential new Fellows which led to the corresponding increase in the numbers of colleagues achieving Fellowship in 2024. I hope the recent growth in global interest and applications for Membership and Fellowship continues in the years ahead. I raise this because the impact and influence of FPM (in the UK) has been raised substantially and effectively in past years, most notably during and after the Covid pandemic.
“In working as an Officer (Treasurer, then Registrar) for FPM in recent years, it has been a privilege to have seen the insightful contributions of our Trustees, who all bring a diversity of experience with them to the benefit of FPM.“
Colleagues of a certain ‘vintage’ will recall the FPM staff superbly led in the early 2000s by our previous Chief Executive, Kathryn Swanston. In my view, she and her small team somehow managed to expertly handle all FPM business while effectively addressing Board matters and members’ enquiries with equal capability. I owe a great deal of gratitude to the staff from that time for assisting me in managing FPM business more capably- though subtly- while also ensuring that the Board always fully met its charity responsibilities. Dr Marcia Philbin more than capably took the reins as Chief Executive in 2018. Her leadership combined with the FPM Board’s ‘steerage’, membership growth and involvement, and many external factors (not least of which the Covid pandemic), has significantly contributed to FPM’s high standing today.
In working as an Officer (Treasurer, then Registrar) for FPM in recent years, it has been a privilege to have seen the insightful contributions of our Trustees, who all bring a diversity of experience with them to the benefit of FPM. I would especially highlight the work carried out, often quietly and behind the scenes, of the various Lay Trustees who provide incredibly useful wider thinking and discussion elements to any debate. Whilst we have been very ably led by our Presidents, the hard work carried out by the Officers, FPM staff, and, indeed, the Trustees in progressing FPM’s aims and agreeing and delivering on strategic priorities continues to ensure that FPM achieves its goal “to advance the science and practice of pharmaceutical medicine for the benefit of the public”.
Looking ahead to the immediate future, these are exciting times for FPM. Our new President, Dr Sheuli Porkess, has laid out her plans and expectations with a completely correct emphasis on maintaining FPM values. I know that she, and her new Officers, will be keen to communicate updates, successes, challenges and further demonstrate FPM’s increasing impact on health policies and pharmaceutical medical science where appropriate. In addition, ‘digital transformation’ is a phrase which, I think, has already reached cliché status, however work in this expanding area has been underway within FPM for some time and benefits of this will continue to be seen by the membership in the coming months.
Finally, my ‘plea’? I have already commented on the diversity of our volunteers (those colleagues committing themselves in any way to support the FPM, be that through Board/committee membership, appraiser work, examining etc). For FPM to continue to grow and meet its strategic priorities, however, we do need many more colleagues to volunteer, especially those who have perhaps recently joined FPM. I really would urge all colleagues to consider volunteering, in any capacity – your expertise, willingness and teamwork will all be mutually beneficial. We would also especially profit, I feel, from contributions from more female colleagues!
As I sign off, I am more positive than ever about FPM and its wider impact on society and science, as well as to its membership. I look forward to learning about its further successes in the coming months and years.
Reference
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Farewell to our President – Dr Flic Gabbay (11 November 2024) https://www.fpm.org.uk/blog/farewell-to-our-president-dr-flic-gabbay/