Records of the Joint RCOG and Royal College of General Practitioners Working Parties

Records of the joint committees and working parties exclusively between the RCOG and the Royal College of General Practitioners, covering discussions on training for general practitioners in obstetrics and gynaecology and provision of services, including correspondence, meeting papers and reports relating to general practitioner maternity units (1968), a working party on training in obstetrics for general practitioners (1972-1974), and a study on attitudes to pregnancy (1972-1976), papers of Sir Rustam Feroze on a joint working party on obstetrics and gynaecology for GP's (1980-1981), and papers and report of a joint working party on vocational training in obstetrics and gynaecology for GP's (1990-1993).

In July 1968, RCOG Council produced a report on Hospital Obstetrics and the General Practitioner, following changes in the NHS. The report commented on General Practitioner Maternity Units and was drafted in discussion with the RCGP and the Univeristy of Liverpool. In 1972 a Joint Working Party between the RCOG and Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) was convened to discuss the training requirements in obstetrics for the General Practitioner. At its first meeting on 13th July 1972, the party discussed an initial working paper produced by Sir Norman Jeffcoate (RCOG) and Dr P O'Brien (RCGP). The party met on six occasions and produced a report in March 1974 .

In September 1980 a Joint Working Party on Training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology for General Practitioners was formed, following circulation of the two aforementioned reports. R M Feroze (FRCOG) acted as Chairman. The Working Party was to consider training in obstetrics and gynaecology for general practice, having regard to undergraduate education and training, and to make recommendations. The party met 14 times and produced a report in November 1981. Ten years later in 1990, a second joint College working group was convened to review the recommendations of the 1980 working party and to determine the progress made in their implementation. They reported in February 1992, making 'Recommendations for Arrangements for General Practitioner Vocational Training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

In 1975 a Joint Research Committee of the RCOG and RCGP was established to undertake a 'Study into the Attitudes to Pregnancy'. It's main objectives were to compare the subsequent experience of women who require an induced abortion with that of other pregnant women, with special reference to reproductive efficiency, mental health and morbidity. The study was originally entitled 'Study of Sequelae of Induced and Spontaneous Abortion', but was renamed because of the need to include women as controls in the study who were not having abortions. The study arose because of a request from the Department of Health and Social Security in 1972 about the after effects of termination of pregnancy. The study was piloted three times, but was eventually postponed in 1978.

Unrestricted by appointment only

Internal transfers from the President's Office and the Administration Department.

Copyright of the RCOG. Reproductions available at the discretion of the College Archivist.

Related material held at the RCOG can be found at the following references:

RCOG/M27 General practitioner maternity unit committee

RCOG/A4/21/88 Correspondence of RCOG Presidents (1980-1983), concerning the joint working party on training in obstetrics for the general practitioner

RCOG/C15 Joint Colleges forum of the RCOG, Royal College of General Practitioners and Royal College of Midwives on maternity services for the 1990s

RCOG/J Records of the Joint Committee on Contraception of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Royal College of General Practitioners