Minutes: Crossing Borders National Committee Meeting 29/04/07

Present:

Jienchi, Dan, Sarah, Gemma, Kushalinii, Bec, Amy

Apologies:

Abdi

Agenda:

Intro

Business Cards

Teamwork

Crossing Borders History

Vision Setting

Aims and Objectives

Projects and Campaigns

Education and Communication

Wiki and Newsletter

Finalise Plan

Team Building

Resource Packs

VISION:

A UK where Refugees and Asylum Seekers have access to the highest attainable standard of health, and where healthcare provision reflects the needs of the individual and the community.

SWOT analysis:

STRENGTHS                                       

 1     Knowledge

·2    Numbers

·3    Organisation

 4    Contacts

Weaknesses

·5    High student turnover

·6    Unrealistic expectations/aims

·7    Too much chat – not enough action!

·8    Time

·9    Lack of experience

OPPORTUNITIES         

·1    Other organisations already working with R and AS

·2    Skype/Wiki

·3    Keen Doctors – well of knowledge   

Threats

·4    Lack of interest from outsiders

·5    Treading on toes

·6    Government/law (also an opportunity?)

·7    Perception of medical students

·8    Distance

·9    Money     

CAMPAIGNS:

Aims – National and local levels, focus on access, and awareness and responsibility of the general public.

Objectives –

Find out what R&AS actually want

Access and failed AS

Local and National

Lobby Government

Need main campaign for focus

GHAP – campaign on denial of healthcare to refused AS. Scope for national and local campaigning. (?contact Dave Biles and Tom Yates).  Push this with national coordinators.

Information on legalities

Increase education – rally GMC – unique campaign of our own separate to GHAP.

Time frame/targets:

Each branch to have background info about campaign by next academic year.  Develop education campaign.

EDUCATION:

Aims – To achieve an appreciation of R and AS healthcare issues, and identify specific needs.  To remove barriers, and prepare future doctors for practice.  To empower medical students to educate their peers about these issues.  To have a lecture in every medical school about AS and R – even if this is put on by students.

Long term goal: Eventually options and core components in every medical school.

Objectives -

Get R and AS health into the curriculum!

Birmingham SSC – Kushalinii has arranged meeting for info start of June

Imperial – Jack

Lecture for 1st/2nd years – easier to set up than whole module (core curriculum - ?space in clinical skills/PPD timetables.  Session on working with interpreters already exists in Ncl for 4th yrs)

Compiling starter pack

How to get it set up in your medical school

o    Who to contact etc

Powerpoints and lectures

Central contact point – academic staff (Bham)

CD/DVD – easier to use

Aim pack at students to use with lecturers. Use info from other places to add clout to the pitch put to individual medical schools.

Sample proposal form ?use exchanges form

Reference list for different essay titles

Recoginising different types of SSCs – pack should have vast amount of material to be used in different ways – almost as ammunition to get it into the curriculum.  Speakers night to introduce the idea is great first step.

Individual Lectures (one off)

SSC projects

SSC essays

? student led sessions

Current places where SSCs are running, establish what these entail

Leeds

GKT

Bristol…..etc

Bec to get contact from Leeds – R who speaks about experiences as AS and has spoken to STAR, also Prof John Spencer (Ncl)

Do we need to lobby/approach discussions with the GMC???? – BMA reps.  Links with campaigns. 

Time frame:

All info to be with Kushalinii by beginning of June. NC to get info from own unis. Kushalinii to phone people. 

PROJECTS:

Aims –

Short term – solutions to current problems eg increase basic levels of English.

Practical involvement of volunteers – linked to education.

Increase awareness.

Objectives –

Three projects proposed by Dan

1 – Information for R and AS about NHS access.

NOT leaflets. Talks and cartoons are useful.  Standardised pocket sized card with info such as the NHS Direct number, what your GP does, the role of A&E etc.  Dan knows of a contact through whom we may be able to get £1000 – possibly this will fund cards? Also each branch should apply separately to their Medsin, or consider approaching other sources for funding.

We identified this as our starting project!

2 – Establish which GPs are available to R and AS and also educate GPs about R and AS.  Get GPs on side!

3 – History taking and advocacy – reduce GP workload.

Also mentioned:

BUMP – Birmingham Unaccompanied Minors Project, currently liaising with Birmingham CB.

Need to meet with local refugee councils before starting projects

Projects to start new academic year

DEFINING A CROSSING BORDERS BRANCH:

Each branch should agree to:

Give the National Committee monthly updates (during term time) on happenings at the branch

Be working on at least one of the areas (Education, Campaigns, Projects) identified by the National Committee as working towards achieving our vision.

Form a committee.  Initially this can be as simple as a Co-ordinator and assistant co-ordinator in each branch but branches should aim to progress to having a democratically elected committee, with people responsible for each individual area.

The National Committee will:

Provide advice and support for branches

Arrange a meeting for branch co-ordinators in the future/provide “as needed” assistance for branches in the meantime.

Be there to encourage, NOT dictate to, branches

Ensure that projects are transferable to different branches

COMMUNICATION:

http://nationalcrossingborders.pbwiki.com/ - Set up by Gemma, is ace and will hopefully be the main method of communication between everyone!

National Committee to communicate via Crossing-borders-nc@googlegroups.com – everyone should now be added, let Amy know if you’re not on there.

COMMITMENT:

                    Elective/Holiday                         Commitment until      

Jienchi        1st Aug – 1st Nov                         January?      

Sarah         15th Aug – 23rd Oct                     Next Easter      

Bec             2nd June – 3rd Sept                    January?      

Kushalinii    8th June – 18th Aug                    Next Easter      

Dan                                                                January      

Amy                                                                Next Easter      

Gem                                                               Next Easter     

Possible handover dates discussed, February was possible but we have agreed to reassess this at a later date.

JOBS!

Gemma – Willing to take over from Jienchi in Jan as coordinator, also going to write an article for the student BMJ.

Dan and Sarah – Will write up project book by October. Send to Amy for formatting.

Bec – Will research background info and contact BMA, GMC, Successful medical schools and GhAP by 2nd June. (Amy willing to support this role)

Kushalinii – To contact all medical schools to assess what’s available at each one, to start on pack.  Pack ready by October.  Send to Amy for formatting. (Possibly getting help from Abdi)

Jienchi – Keep an eye on other projects running.  Sort out an introductory document for CB, explaining the vision and objectives.

Abdi - ?treasurer role?

Amy – Type up minutes!! Help Bec. Sort out monthly newsletter – using the monthly updates from each branch. Format packs, send samples out to NC before distribution.          

OTHER BUSINESS:

NC to meet again early November