Roles of President and Chairman of the RCGP.

Thank you for publishing the article by Southgate and Pringle in the October issue (pages 854–855) on this important subject. As the person who has most recently held both these offices, I would like to describe two other roles of the President of the College which were not mentioned. First, the President traditionally visits most or all of the Faculties during the three-year term. This is a great privilege and allows the President to meet more members of the College and hear more comments direct from members than anyone else in the College. He/she is usually asked to speak or lecture at Faculty events and is thus responsible for describing and defending College policy on these occasions. I would like to thank all the College Faculties which invited me during my term, and their Officers who provided extensive hospitality to me, and often my wife, which has been very much appreciated. Secondly, the President of the RCGP has been a member of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (formerly the Conference of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in the UK) since 1976. Two RCGP Presidents have been elected Vice-Chairman of it: Sir Michael Drury from 1987 to 1988, and me, from 1998 to 2000. My election as Chairman of the Academy in June 2000 was only possible through the RCGP President’s membership of that body, since the Chairman has to be a member or recent member. I would like to record my thanks to the Presidents of the specialist Royal Colleges and Faculties, who have for the first time elected a general practitioner to be Chairman. PROFESSOR SIR DENIS PEREIRA GRAY