Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

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 (a copy is in C7/1/2). 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 (two copies are enclosed in C7/4/5). 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 postposed in 1978.