The 32nd Annual Meeting of the College was held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Edinburgh from 30 June to 3 July 2003.
Business Meeting
The Business Meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists was held on Wednesday, 2 July 2003 and was chaired by the President, Dr Mike Shooter. It was attended by 86 members of the College.
The minutes of the previous meeting, held in Cardiff on 27 June 2002 and published in the Psychiatric Bulletin, December 2002, were approved and signed.
Arising from the previous Business meeting in Cardiff, the President reported on progress to date regarding resolutions made at the previous AGM as follows:
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• The Cardiff meeting had agreed that the College resolution on China, adopted in London the previous year, should be put to the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) AGM in Yokohama in the summer of 2002. At Yokohama, the WPA agreed to set up a task force to lay down the protocol for a free and independent visit to China, to investigate the alleged political abuse of psychiatry and to report back on progress at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in Spring 2003. At the APA meeting, the WPA issued a statement saying that it had been impossible to carry this further because of the non-cooperation of the Chinese Government, the outbreak of SARS and the replacement of the Health Minister in its wake. It now called on the new minister to allow the investigatory visit, along the lines that the College had originally asked for.
In the light of this statement, the College joined with the APA in supporting its demands. Dr Shooter encouraged members to consider what action the College should take if China refused the visit. He would be writing to the WPA to pose the same question.
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• In contrast to China, the WPA had reacted very promptly and appropriately to the situation in the Middle East. A task force, jointly chaired by Israeli and Palestinian psychiatrists, had already been set up under the aegis of a committee, on which the College was represented through the President. In addition, an emergency meeting had been called in Cairo by the World Health Organization (WHO) and WPA acting together to examine ways of supporting psychiatric services in Iraq. Professor Hamid Ghodse would be attending that meeting for the College.
General business
The formal Report of the Treasurer and a summarised version of the Annual Accounts for 2002 were received and approved. The re-appointment of the auditors was approved. The new fees and subscription rates from 1 January 2004 were also approved.
The following resolution was proposed by Dr Mike Shooter and seconded by Dr Andrew Fairbairn:
That the Bye-Laws of the College be amended, revoked and added in accordance with the copy thereof containing such amendments, revocations and additions sent to the Members with the notice of this meeting, provided that such amendments, revocations or additions shall not take effect until the same shall have been approved by the Privy Council and provided further that the Executive and Finance Committee of the Council shall have authority to approve any further amendments required thereto by the Privy Council.
The resolution was supported.
No other resolutions had been received for discussion at the meeting.
The Registrar reported the following new appointments and results from elections:
The Dean
Professor Dinesh Bhugra
Honorary Officers
Editor - Professor Peter Tyrer
Fellows on Council
Professor Ilana Belle Crome
Professor Pamela Jane Taylor
Members on Council
Dr Kwame Julius McKenzie
Dr Philip Sugarman
Members of the Court of Electors
Dr Jeremy Shaw Bolton
Professor Ramalingam Nirmalakumar Chithiramohan (Mohan)
Professor Ilana Belle Crome
Dr Kedar Nath Dwivedi
Professor John Charles Gunn
Dr Annie Yin-Har Lau
New Chairmen/Secretaries of Divisions
Dr M. Tanner - Secretary Eastern Division
Dr F. Browne - Chairman, Northern Ireland Division
Dr N. Chada - Honorary Secretary Northern Ireland Division
Dr M. Nowers - Chairman, South West Division
Dr S. Bhaumik - Chairman Trent Division
New Chairmen/Secretaries of Faculties and Sections
Child and adolescent faculty - Dr Ann York
G&C faculty - Dr Suresh Joseph
Liaison section - Dr Paul Gill
Social and rehabilitation section - Dr Robin Arnold
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