RUTH PALMER

RUTH PALMER - CURRICULUM VITAEE-mail: ruthepalmer@btinternet.com Mobile: 07980 381504 Home: 01622 844863My most recent role was as Royal College of GPs Executive Director leading ongoing and innovative new work with strategic developments and major impact via: training, assessments, professional development, quality standards/improvement and support services; major fundraising/income generation; close stakeholder engagement; research; and programme leadership. I led this work with 85 staff and a 15m budget.

CAREER SUMMARY

Royal College of GPs (RCGP) - Executive Director: Postgraduate Training & Standards; Education, Quality and Research July 2006 December 2015 My RCGP Executive Director roles had very wide remits in addition to key focus on education, training and professional development areas. This included significant contribution to College strategy and targets, new priorities, governance changes and financial, legal and reputational challenges. My management of these areas included responsibility for up to 85 staff and a 15m budget. From 2013 the role also covered major wider priorities such as GP workforce campaigns and support for struggling practices and GPs. My varied remits covered strategic development, quality standards/improvement, public profile and stakeholder engagement in the following areas:

GP Training: GP curriculum and licensing exam; trainees and trainers standards, development and support; quality assurance of training and assessments.

GP Professional Development: CPD products, courses and events; GP revalidation support and advisory services; accreditation for GP practice in specialist areas. Quality Programmes: enhancing GP personal and practice quality standards with support and advice for quality improvement; support for struggling practices/GPs. New programme management: leading all new funded College programme work. Clinical research and outcomes: instituting new research and data surveillance to underpin new policies and innovative development products. Workforce: enhancing image of GP at medical schools; raising public profile of GP impact and benefits; improving GP recruitment and retention. Key skills and achievements

Training/qualifications: I introduced the GP licensing examination and curriculum and a new process for accrediting special interests and transferable skills. Professional development: I introduced GP revalidation standards and process (highly commended by the GMC) with advisory/support services and CPD products. The CPD products (rated as top membership benefits) increased membership by over 10%. Quality: I developed RCGPs practice quality standards and improvement scheme with a support services pilot to support practice development and raise quality of care. Financial impact: I acquired external funding of up to 2m for new programmes and also up to 0.5m from commercial sponsors for new CPD products. I introduced new CPD income generating areas and regularly found major savings in my core budget. Legal work: I led RCGP Judicial Review and Employment Tribunal challenges based on claims of racial bias in our GP exam. We won all aspects of these cases and I then introduced new Equality & Diversity and PSED policies/processes/training College-wide. Innovation: I set up RCGPs Clinical Innovation and Research Centre, which attracts several million of external funding p.a., develops clinical service innovation pilots and tools and oversees college research and patient data surveillance. Senior management work: I led organisational changes such as restructuring my directorate, implementing governance reviews and setting up new programme management systems. I contributed to all new RCGP strategic plans and targets and addressed significant legal and regulatory issues College-wide. I successfully performance managed GPs as well as staff, and also motivated all at stressful times. Effective representation/engagement: I developed excellent high level working relationships with stakeholders and negotiated solutions to disputes with BMA and GMC. I regularly prepared press statements and responses for new work and challenges and was interviewed by medical magazines.I am now instantly available having left the RCGP to have my first ever career break and then to move on to a new leadership role with many development opportunities.Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng) - Head of Examinations 2000 2006 Role: leading all work on: training standards and quality assurance (QA) processes; examination standards, processes and examiner training/development; new assessment tools/techniques. Delivery was for surgeons in both the UK and overseas. Key achievements: Negotiated between the four UK surgical colleges to develop a new intercollegiate membership examination managed by RCSEng. Developed and introduced: revised examination standards/framework/QA system; new examiner training approach; new workplace based assessment tools. Made major contribution to new curriculum development.

Association of Accounting Technicians - Assessment Manager Role: training and management of assessment team and examiners; development and implementation of new assessment processes, standard setting, training products and online learning packages; addressing quality assurance of training courses.Chartered Institute of Bankers - Qualifications Development Manager Role: development and launch of a new MBA programme; design and production of examination syllabi, papers and related publications; development of new learning courses.

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors - General Practice Officer Role: policy development; advice to members/public; publications; committee work.University of Oxford Examinations Board - Development Officer Role: standard setting for O-Level/A-Level exams; syllabus development; examination paper production; introducing new Records of Achievement; advice to schools; addressing appeals.

Harvester Press Editor Cambridge University Press Interim Sub-Editor

EDUCATIONInstitute of Education, UCL Higher and Professional Education MA (Distinction)Focus on professional/medical education, standard setting, quality assurance & assessment.University of Cambridge

BA (Hons) Class: 2:1 Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic (Part I); English (Part II)Represented my Cambridge College (New Hall) on University Challenge.KEY TRAINING COURSESChief Executive Approaches; Executive Strategy; Leadership; Funding; Governance; Facilitation; Creative Problem-Solving; Effective Management; Addressing Customer Needs; Presentation Skills; Risk Management; Public Sector Equality Duty and Equality & Diversity.REFEREESRCGP Chair of Trustee Board, Dr Colin Hunter: colin_m_hunter@yahoo.co.uk 07778996018

Previous RCGP CEO, Hilary De Lyon: hilary@delyon.plus.com 07919445803PAGE 2