What made you apply to the position of co-chair of BAPEN’s Faculty?
I was invited to join BAPEN Faculty last year. I have a lot of experience chairing committees over the years, so when the opportunity of chairing Faculty arose, I was happy to put my name forward. I have been President of both the Scottish Society of Gastroenterology and the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG), so I have experience of working with committees of all sizes, both face to face and online. In addition, I have chaired a number of NHS advisory groups and been Chair of BAPEN Scotland so it is something I enjoy doing.
I am “co-chair” of BAPEN Faculty with Ailsa Brotherton, which is great. I think we work very well together, and we have very different but complementary experience both at work and within BAPEN. It is great to have someone you trust, to discuss and bounce ideas off.
I am also one of BAPEN’s Trustees which is another area where I have experience. I am also a Trustee of Bowel Cancer UK. A lot of people do not know what trustees are, and why the Trustee Board is important. BAPEN is a charity, which means we are bound by Charity Law and have to answer to the Charity Commission. The Board of Trustees is ultimately, legally responsible for the governance of the Charity, making sure that it runs on a sound financial footing and complies with the Charity Commission code of Conduct, which is there to ensure that the organisation is fair, responsible, transparent and meets its charitable aims. The Board has to keep a risk register and scrutinises the accounts/ We have to make sure that BAPEN is, in the jargon, “A going concern.”
The running of the Charity is delegated to the President, the Executive and Council, but the Board must maintain oversight of all BAPEN’s activities. I think the current Trustee Board is well balanced and really motivated to help BAPEN develop. None of the Trustees gets paid, and that includes our amazing lay Trustees who bring so much experience and wisdom to the organisation. We all do it because we believe BAPEN, its members, and the things that it stands for, are good, and worth fighting for.
Can you tell us a bit about your experience with BAPEN to date?
I first joined BAPEN as a young consultant nearly 30 years ago, when Professor Chris Pennington suggested I should get involved. At the first BAPEN meeting I attended, I met Barry Jones and that has been a great professional friendship ever since.
I represented BAPEN when we produced the Scottish Food Fluid and Nutritional Care Standards in 2003 and I was involved in their implementation and development, including the Scottish Complex Care Standards, right up to 2016.
I was on BAPEN Council for a few years quite a long time ago, and I was instrumental along with Janet Baxter and Ruth McKee in setting up BAPEN Scotland. Healthcare in Scotland is fully devolved and so everything is decided by Holyrood, not Westminster. Over the years I have always tried to remind BAPEN that it is a four-nation organisation, and that it should not forget that, whilst the principles of good nutritional care are the same everywhere, the way it is delivered is not. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have to be taken into account, as they constitute nearly one fifth of the UK population.
I was Chair of BAPEN Scotland for five years. In 2016, I was elected to the Council of the BSG, so my interests took a parallel course, and I tried hard to promote nutrition during that time. I think we have seen much more interest in nutrition amongst Gastroenterologists over the years although it remains a bit of a “Cinderella” area. When I was BSG President we saw BAPEN as one of our most important allies, and I met with Trevor Smith regularly to discuss areas of joint interest. We supported BAPEN and the Covid Airborne Transmission Alliance fighting to recognise the hazards of COVID transmission by the airborne route. I think Barry Jones has done an amazing job for BAPEN.
What would you say to anyone who may be interested in getting more actively involved with BAPEN – whether that be on a committee or through best making use of their membership?
Go for it!
Becoming actively involved in a Professional Membership Organisation is one of the best ways to make a lasting difference to patients, families and colleagues over the years. It is also the best way that I know to avoid burnout.
Although it might seem odd to become even busier when you are already busy, being an active member of BAPEN is a great way of maintaining interest in your work, staying up to date, and avoiding burnout.
If all you do is the day job, it will demand more and more of you physically and emotionally, and eventually when you feel you can give no more it will simply spit you out. Being involved with an organisation like BAPEN keeps your interest alive, gives you social contact with like minded people, and is very rewarding.
What do you hope to achieve in your new BAPEN role?
I hope Faculty will be seen as a trusted and valued source of advice to BAPEN. We have no interest in interfering in how the organisation is run, which we see very much as the role of the President, Council and the Trustees.
We advise and try to look ahead for the organisation. We were asked to look at mentoring and coaching, and if we can successfully launch the program that would be a really worthwhile achievement.
In what ways do you see BAPEN evolving as an organisation in the near future? What opportunities lie ahead?
I see BAPEN continuing to develop its educational and training roles.
Our biggest risk is complacency. When BAPEN pioneered the ‘MUST’ score we made a huge lasting impact and also coincidentally produced a valuable financial asset. We need to think what new opportunities we could develop.
I think we have to address the pressing issues around obesity and long-term health. We may actually have a Westminster Government that might be more receptive.
Ultimately, I hope we reach a time when anyone associated with nutrition will say.
”Of course I am a member of BAPEN. Why on earth wouldn’t I be….?”
