A University of Nottingham academic has been elected president for the
Royal College of General Practitioners, the national body representing the network of more than 44,000 family doctors across the UK.
Professor Mike Pringle, an Emeritus Professor of General Practice at the University, will take up the three-year presidency at the end of the RCGP Annual General Meeting in November this year.
Professor Pringle, a retired GP who practised on the Nottinghamshire-Lincolnshire border for more than 30 years and was awarded a CBE for Services to Medicine in 2001, will take on the role from outgoing president Dr Iona Heath.
Speaking on his appointment, Professor Pringle said: “I am delighted and honoured to have been elected as the 23rd President of the RCGP. I would like to thank the members who voted for me and who have put their trust and confidence in me.
“I would also like to thank my fellow candidates for contesting this election in a fair, honest and open way. Iona Heath will be a very hard act to follow but I will do my very best to represent the College and support its members.”
Professor David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Nottingham, said: “I was thrilled to hear of Professor Pringle’s appointment to the role of President of the RCGP. This is a deserving honour which recognises Mike’s outstanding service to his profession, and his commitment to representing and supporting other general practitioners.”
The voice of GPs
The RGCP works towards encouraging and maintaining the highest standards of general medical practice and acts as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.
Professor Pringle, who was elected over five other experienced members of the RCGP, will act as the constitutional head of the organisation in his role as President.
The new position follows a previous roles including RCGP Medical Lead for Revalidation and Chair of the Trustee Board in the RCGP. From 1998 to 2001, Professor Pringle served as Chair of the RCGP, setting the strategic direction and the policy for the organisation. He is a former member of the General Medical Council and a former member of the Council of the Medical Defence Union.
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has 40,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘the world’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking 2011.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security.
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