One of Scotland’s medical Royal Colleges is holding a ‘President’s Week’ of events starting today, focusing on how the wellbeing of healthcare professionals and those around them can be safeguarded as the UK’s health services emerge from the pandemic.

The President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Professor Jackie Taylor steps down after a three year term in December.

She says it is a time for reflection:

“When I became President – obviously that was in a pre-covid era – I set out three areas of focus: around wellbeing, workforce, and equality and diversity.

“Those turned out to areas of focus for many people during covid.

“I hope I have managed to raise the awareness of the needs of the professions in terms of their own wellbeing and an appreciation that being interested in their wellbeing is not a selfish thing. It is essential because, only by having a workforce that is in itself well, and is not stressed and burnt out, can we provide the services that patients need.

“There is very clear evidence that if you have a workforce where wellbeing is good, then patient satisfaction is much higher and patient safety is much higher. But, if somebody has a chronic excessive workload, then their wellbeing will not be good. So I have sought to highlight that workforce and wellbeing are inextricably linked – we must solve the workforce shortage issues to have wellbeing.”

The main event of the week, which includes an exhibition, diploma ceremony and launch of a mentorship scheme, is a two-day ‘presidents conference’ with the theme ‘Time to Heal: Recovery and Renewal’ – examining issues such as a wellbeing culture, culture change and leadership as healthcare builds back following the pandemic.

“We have to embed this focus on wellbeing in everything that we do in healthcare,” says Professor Taylor, “because if we don’t embed it, then five years from now, perhaps this pandemic will have passed, our services will have recovered, but we will lose all of the ground that has been gained.

“So, it’s about embedding the culture in our workforce, in our managers and in our leaders, that this really does matter and this is how we do it.

“I am really passionate about wellbeing and the workforce. I don’t want to use the word legacy, but, if I leave an imprint, I hope that is what it will be.”

Full details of the Presidents week programme can be found on the College’s website.

Read more: Junior doctors: unsupported and fearful; Insight: Recovery is about workforce and wellbeing; ‘Many worrying gaps’ in NHS recovery plan.

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