The Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford recently hosted its Annual GP Tutors Conference, gathering over 90 educators and healthcare professionals at St Hilda's College on 3 December 2024. This year’s theme, ‘Sustainable Primary Care Clinical Education', highlighted the essential role of sustainability in shaping the future of medical education.
The day began with a welcome from Prof Sir Aziz Sheikh, who emphasised the importance of supporting medical students in their understanding of general practice and the various career opportunities it presents. His remarks set a positive tone for the event, highlighting opportunities for action and participation.
Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh welcoming attendees to the Annual GP Tutors Conference 2024.
Following this introduction, Prof Sophie Park outlined the NDPCHS's priorities in Primary Care Medical Education. She emphasised the need to make visible the scholarship and intellectual rigour that inform general practice, as well as the significance of sustainability and social accountability in teaching.
The first plenary session featured Dr Kay Leedham-Green from Imperial Medical School, who shared her insights on sustainable healthcare. Dr Leedham-Green has worked with the Green Impact for Health, the UK Inhaler Group, PrescQIPP, the Personalised Care Institute and is currently on the education and quality improvement committees at the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, supporting NHS England to implement the SusQI toolkit to decarbonise health and social care systems.
She discussed the diverse skills required to personalise patient care and highlighted the long-term benefits of adopting sustainable practices for both individuals and global health. Her suggestions for scaffolding student learning and encouraging active participation sparked thoughtful discussions among attendees. She also addressed the need for more inclusive assessment methods in medical education to better engage students with critical aspects of professional practice.
Dr Kay Leedham-Green presenting during the Annual GP Tutors Conference 2024.
The second plenary session was co-presented by Dr Luke Allen and Prof Peter Scarborough, who used interactive quizzes and engaging visuals to explore the impact of commercial activities on public health. They discussed concerning trends in marketing strategies that obscure evidence of harm from products such as sugary foods and tobacco. Prof Scarborough illustrated the vast resources allocated to meat production using a monopoly board, emphasising its implications for health and environmental sustainability. Their arguments made a strong case for reducing dietary meat intake, both to lower cancer risks and to reduce our carbon footprint.
Throughout the day, participants engaged in a variety of workshops designed to deepen their understanding of sustainable practices in primary care education. The event concluded with an awards ceremony recognising outstanding practices and tutors for their contributions and alignment with departmental values.
As we reflect on this year's conference, we extend our gratitude to all attendees for their participation and to those who worked diligently behind the scenes to ensure its success. The collaborative spirit evident throughout the day reinforced our commitment to advancing sustainable practices within medical education.
This year’s Annual GP Tutors Conference not only underscored the importance of sustainability in healthcare education but also reaffirmed our community's dedication to preparing future medical professionals for the challenges ahead.