Discussion forum

Tina Eriksson asked me (as former president of EQuiP) to read the consitution and strategy documents of EQuiP and comment on a mission or politic for EQuiP as an organisation.

The key question that you have to ask, is whether the EQuiP can achieve something that is really important. I don’t have any doubt that it is. Giving a strong focus to quality improvement is essential to family practice and to our wider health systems. There is therefore every reason to invest in its development.

The main challenge is, I think, one of focusing on what EQuiP can do best. Your strategy is a good step forward in this respect but it still looks to me as if you have very broad interests and very stretched resources. I’m not convinced that EquiP members should be putting a lot of work into developing tools or doing primary research (though the individuals involved may be doing so in their other roles). It seems to me that EQuiPs unique contribution would be the bringing together of tools, methods and research done by others, presenting it in a way that is useful to front line practitioners, and providing an authoritative commentary on their strengths, weaknesses and application. The meetings and work between meetings would then have a very strong focus on analysis and synthesis – a set of skills that will be common to all members of the group. As long as the subject area is related to quality and safety, then this provides a tight focus in terms of function, within a broad set of subjects.

Best wishes

Martin


Martin Marshall

Director of Clinical Quality