Barry's Final Community Blog.

This is my final post before I retire at the beginning of October 2018. I have managed to maintain this blog for roughly twice a month over the last 6 academic years and I have always aimed to share my community based work, the work of Leeds School of Medicine, and of our medical students with a diverse audience. I have also been keen to recommend pieces from the weeks British Medical Journal (BMJ) on-line and these are short and punchy plus interesting articles on national and international health issues. My job has been an absolute pleasure over the last 18 years as the School tries to nurture the holistic doctors of tomorrow to serve our diverse population but now as they say it's time for me to turn a new page. So I conclude with a poem: SUCH SWEET SORROW. SO NOW IT'S TIME TO LEAVE THIS STAGE. WORKING WITH YOU HAS BEEN A PLEASURE. TO SEARCH AND HEAR THINE STORIES. TO SHARE THY GEMS, SUCH TREASURE. TO GIVE TO PATIENTS WHAT THEY WANT. HOLISTIC DOCTORS WITH A SOUL. TO WORK WITH YOU, TO CARE WITH YOU. THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE GOAL. YES PARTING IS SWEET SORROW. BUT COMPASSION DOES NOT RETIRE. SO LOVE AND BEST WISHES FROM ME TO YOU. A COMMUNITY FLAG ON A UNIVERSITY SPIRE. So what's in the BMJ this week? . .Californian law requires doctors to disclose serious misconduct probation to patients. . NHS makes good progress on sustainability, report shows. . Alcohol is blamed for one in 20 deaths as reduced consumption remains elusive. . £580m boost to general practice isn't enough, say GP leaders. . Survey of UK doctors highlights blame culture in the NHS. . Graduates are being blocked from entering medical school, students warn. . Child vaccination rates drop in England as MMR uptake falls for fourth year. . Government is urged to scrap visa cap for all foreign doctors after Brexit. Read all about it! With best wishes, Barry

Welcome to Barry's Blog Academic Year 2018/19

Welcome everyone to my new blog for the academic year September 2018 to June 2019. And a warm welcome back to all regular readers and welcome to any new first year medical students who my look at this. In my School here at Leeds I have a Community Notice Board which is just outside the main office on level 7 of the Worsley Building and on this you can see a bit of what's going on in the voluntary sector in Leeds! As a community development officer I also share my work in the community with diverse voluntary groups on this blog plus I share the work of the school and medical students. In the fortnightly or so blog I also refer the reader to the week's British Medical Journal on-line and highlight a few interesting items in their 'News' and these are very informative punchy short pieces and you learn a lot plus they are on local and international health issues. For medical students, on our Minerva virtual learning environment as part of IDEALS 2 there are also a number of video podcasts in IDEALS 2 Inclusion Health - Equality and Diversity and these have been made by community organisations or workers and are on Alcohol (there are two), Domestic Violence, Living With HIV, and Homelessness. I also produce a Community Newsletter twice per year which goes to about 450 community contacts in my region and my latest edition was the 50th issue! So I hope you enjoy reading this Community Blog and I wish everyone success over the next academic year! With best wishes, Barry Ewart, Community Education Development Officer, Leeds School of Medicine.