Imperial College London Primary Care

It was with great sadness that we learned about the recent death of Professor Konrad Jamrozik. Konrad Jamrozik was Professor of Primary Care Epidemiology at Imperial College London from 2001-2004. He then returned to Australia. His most recent post was as Head of the School of Population Health and Clinical Practice at the University of Adelaide. Professor Jamrozik won a number of awards during his career, most recently, the Nigel Gray Award for Achievement in Tobacco Control.

Ms Joanna Murray, a PhD student in the department, has been awarded a place on the NIHR Biomedical Research Centres Summer School for PhD Students.

Students from the MPH and MSc Modern Epidemiology have started the International Public Health Group to improve awareness and discussion of global health issues. The group will also provide opportunities to learn about international projects and organizations. For example, with the help of Professor Salman Rawaf, the group has arranged a visit to the WHO Headquarters in Geneva. In addition to sessions with Professor Rawaf, the group has also organised sessions with Professor Alan Fenwick and Dr Edwin Michaels from the Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology.

Our lunchtime seminar this week was given by Helen Lester, Professor of Primary Care at the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre at the University of Manchester. She has been a GP in Birmingham since 1990. Most of her academic work has focused on improving care for people with mental health problems and on quality improvement more generally. Professor Lester is also the academic clinical lead of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (working as the external contractor to NICE), vice chair of the Society for Academic Primary Care and an elected member of College Council. In her spare time, she writes for the British Journal of General Practice as one of the ‘back page’ columnists. Professor Lester spoke about the benefits that we have seen in health care delivery in the UK from the implementation of the Quality and Outcomes Framework. These include a reduction in health inequalities .

The department hosted a visit this week by a delegation from Singapore, with help from the Lillie Road Surgery. The visit was to discuss collaboration between Singapore and Imperial College in the areas of undergraduate education and research.

Earlier this year, the department hosted a visit from a delegation from the Ministry of Health in the Republic of Macedonia . During the visit, academics in the department discussed the primary healthcare system in the Republic of Macedonia and ways in which the Department of Primary Care & Public Health could support both undergraduate and postgraduate training in primary care.

A reminder to all staff that the name of the department will change in January 2010 to the Department of Primary Care & Public Health . The new name reflects the work of the department better than the old name. Our department has the highest number of staff with specialist accreditation in public health of any department in Imperial College. The department also leads the Imperial College MPH programme and works closely with many NHS Departments of Public Health in London PCTs.