Aug 2, 20232 min read

NAMEM Chair Update - July 2023

28 July 2023

Dear Members & Council

It is a great privilege and honour to be the Chair of NAMEM for the incoming year 2023-2024. As we have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, many aspects of life we have returned to normal but we have also embraced and become accustomed to a ‘new normal’!

A huge thank you to council who have steered the organisation through another challenging year in 2022-23 between the continued wrestling with COVID-19 restrictions and rebuilding service within their own areas of work to address the residual impact of the pandemic.

Despite many challenges, council delivered on many projects:

revamping the NAMEM website;
developed the technology to introduce web based payments and expenses;
organised a number of events, courses and study days for all our members;
persisted with professionalising medical education with the development of a new MSc in Professional practice in affiliation with the University of Kent, with the first cohort starting the PG certificate on the 28 September 2023. What an achievement! Well done to all and good luck to those who are undertaking the PGcert.

On behalf of council, I would like to extend a special thank-you to Lesley Fenton who has retired from her role as Treasurer. Lesley was a member of council for over 25 years. Lesley had been instrumental to NAMEM, keeping the books in order and one of the main contacts who knew every NAMEM member. NAMEM council wish Lesley the very best and thank her for her contribution to NAMEM, she will be dearly missed. We welcome Pam Daley, who has stepped down as Thames Valley Rep to take on the role of Treasurer, which she has done with great aplomb.

In the last year we bade farewell to the following council representatives:

Magdalena Tosun - London
Kerry Dungay - Plymouth
Mary Malarkey - Scotland

NAMEM welcomes the following members to council who will represent their region:

Leanne Holborn - Wales
Anne-marie Coxon - Scotland
Liane Hanson - Thames Valley

Thanks to all old, new and existing council members for the support and encouragement in the role.

Conference took place on 15 & 16 May 2023 in Milton Keynes Stadium, themed: ‘Medical Education – Support to Enable’. The conference was a fabulous success with great feedback and entertainment of course! Thank you to Pam Daley as chief organiser, she did an amazing job.

The baton has now been handed to Donna Paddon who will be chief organiser for the NAMEM Cheltenham Conference, which will take place 20-21 May 2024. We hope to see you there!

I have been part of a dedicated and enthusiastic team who promote and encourage good practice and ensure that Medical Education stays well and truly on the map! The organisation continues to grow from strength to strength and Council will continue to build relationships with GMC, NACT, COPMeD Business Mangers, HEE and many more, ensuring that we have input to the latest developments within Medical Education and are able to bring you the most recent updates as soon as we have them.

I look forward to another year of networking, collaborating and building friendships.

Thank you to you all.

Best Wishes