President: Dr Ian Laing
Honorary Secretary: Dr Christine Findlay
christine.findlay@aaaht.scot.nhs.uk
www.rcpch.ac.uk/sps
Minutes of 92nd Annual General Meeting
The meeting was held on Friday 28 November 2014 at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Glasgow.
Present
Ian Laing (Chair), Christine Findlay (Secretary), Jack Beattie, Forrester Cockburn, Eric Coleman,
Peter Fowlie, Patricia Jackson, Robert Simpson, John McClure, Ruth Thomson, Anne O’Hare, Mary
O’Regan, Mary Callaghan, Cath Lees, Paul Duffy, Peter Smail, Phil Booth, G AlHourani, Tom Turner,
Mairi Stark, Laura Hammond, Lana O’Hara, Jonathan McCormick, Lynn MacLeod, Christine
Gallacher, Steve Turner, Angela Lucas- Herald, Bridget Oates, Lawrence Armstrong, David Watson,
Judith Brown, Paul Galea, Ann Harvie, Deborah Shanks, Greg Hunt, Ishaq Abu-Arafeh.
Apologies
Graham Stewart, Jonathan Coutts, Una McFadyean.
Welcome
Dr Ian Laing in Chair opened the meeting.
1. Minutes of the previous meeting
Minutes of the 91st Annual General Meeting held on Friday 22 November 2013 at the Royal College of
Physicians of Edinburgh were approved.
2. Matters Arising
No matters arising.
3. Annual Report: Newsletter
The President and President Elect Annual Reports and Society Newsletter were included in the
delegates’ folder for reference.
4. Scottish Paediatric Surveillance Unit Update
Dr Ishaq Abu-Arafeh presented an update on the current activities of the Scottish Paediatric
Surveillance Unit. He encouraged members to consider the use of the surveillance unit for future
research ideas. It was acknowledged that the response rate is not as high as it should be but ways to
improve on this have been considered and recent changes made, in particular an update of the
mailing list and e-mail addresses, a single button to press for “no cases to report” and a plan to issue a
biannual certificate of participation. It was recognised that the surveillance unit is expensive to run,
supported by the Scottish Paediatric Society following an initial grant and it is the expectation that
projects involved are funded, contributing to the surveillance maintenance costs.
5. Scottish Paediatric Society Website
At the Society’s Annual General Meeting last year a motion was presented by the Executive
Committee and agreed by members to update the Scottish Paediatric Society website and to do so by
creating a SPS web section within the RCPCH Scotland Section of the RCPCH website. It was felt
that this will promote greater affiliation between RCPCH and SPS and that the new site shall also
provide an infrastructure to allow its content to be kept up to date facilitating an improvement in
Correspondence to:
Dr Christine Findlay, Consultant Paediatrician, Crosshouse Hospital, Crosshouse, Kilmarnock KA2 OBE
Phone: 01563 825764, Fax: 01563 827832, e-mail: christine.findlay@aaaht.scot.nhs.uk
President: Dr Ian Laing
Honorary Secretary: Dr Christine Findlay
christine.findlay@aaaht.scot.nhs.uk
www.rcpch.ac.uk/sps
communication with SPS members and better advertising of meetings. The financial implications were
acknowledged at the time.
Christine Findlay updated members by explaining how this has been taken forward over the past year.
RCPCH has designed a new section within the RCPCH Scotland content of the RCPCH website
which has been based on upgrading what was the existing content of the old SPS site. The new SPS
site has been live since August 2014 and the new website address (www.rcpch.ac.uk/sps) has been
updated on the SPS header used in all communications. If any member was to try to visit the old site
then he/she will be automatically re-directed. The RCPCH Scotland Office will ensure the functionality
of the website and will maintain the SPS section within the RCPCH website and update the SPS
section with content supplied by SPS. It was recognised that these developments have associated
financial implications. The initial design and build costs amounted to £4,579.20 and on-going support
costs per annum currently stand at £1,299.87 (excluding VAT). Both parties have agreed to the
maintenance cost being reviewed annually based on the time spent in the previous 12 months.
6. Scottish Paediatric Society Travel Fellowship Bursary
The Scottish Paediatric Society has created a travel bursary programme of up to £1,000 per annum to
be awarded in support of trainee members wishing to present at international meetings. This was
launched in January 2014 and to date one trainee, Dr Natalie Bee, has benefited from this funding
which allowed her to present her work at an international congress in Amsterdam. Her report from this
meeting was included in the delegates’ folder.
7. Financial Report 2013 – 2014
The summary of the financial report was included in the delegates’ folder and presented on the
screen. Whilst it was acknowledged that the finances of the SPS remain healthy, it was at the same
time noted that the balance of the account has dropped by over £5000 (£5,403.26) in the last financial
year. Ian Laing spoke to the report and the increase in annual expenses listed, with particular
reference to the website design and less so the travel fellowship bursary. The negative balance
incurred from the Scottish Paediatric Surveillance Unit was also noted however members were
informed that late project fee payments amounting to a total of £1,000 were expected in the near
future.
It was recognised that the Society’s recent new commitments, namely website maintenance and the
travel fellowship bursary each present a recurring increase in annual expenditure. It was felt that this
should not be ignored and Ian Laing stated the intention to revisit this discussion later in the AGM
under the item SPS annual membership subscription review being presented as one of the motions
supported by the executive committee for AGM voting.
Jack Beattie raised the issue of financial recognition for the Society’s secretarial support, which
currently is represented by a payment of £100 per quarter to Mrs Sheila Stewart. The value of her
quiet contribution to the Society was recognised and appreciated by members who agreed with his
suggestion that payment, which has not been reviewed for many years, should be increased to £200
per quarter to take immediate effect.
8. Nominations of new members
The following colleagues were nominated and elected as new members:
Jia Yi Liao
Adrienne Sullivan
Miriam Stephens
Ruth Bland
FY2 Paediatrics
ST6 Paediatrics
ST4 Anaesthetics
Consultant Paediatrician
Aberdeen
Glasgow
Paisley
Glasgow
Correspondence to:
Dr Christine Findlay, Consultant Paediatrician, Crosshouse Hospital, Crosshouse, Kilmarnock KA2 OBE
Phone: 01563 825764, Fax: 01563 827832, e-mail: christine.findlay@aaaht.scot.nhs.uk
President: Dr Ian Laing
Honorary Secretary: Dr Christine Findlay
christine.findlay@aaaht.scot.nhs.uk
www.rcpch.ac.uk/sps
Abraham Isaac
Harriet Miles
Peishan Wu
Fahimeda Ali
Consultant Paediatrician
Consultant Paediatrician
ST5 Paediatrics
Consultant Paediatrician
Forth Valley
Edinburgh
Aberdeen
Glasgow
It was with sadness that Ian Laing noted the recent deaths of Professor John Tolmie and Dr Norman
Coutts.
9. Motions supported by Executive Committee for AGM voting

Elections of Members of Executive Committee
The following members were nominated and re- elected to serve as officers on the SPS and members
of the Executive Committee:
Jonathan McCormick
Christine Gallacher
Mairi Stark
Steve Turner
Lynn MacLeod

Dundee Representative
Glasgow Representative
District Representative
Aberdeen and Academic Representative
District Representative
Nov 2014- Nov 2017
Nov 2014- Nov 2017
Nov 2014- Nov 2017
Nov 2014- Nov 2017
Nov 2014- Nov 2017
Membership of Scottish Paediatric Society
At last year’s Annual General Meeting a motion supported by the Executive Committee was proposed
to extend the opportunity of membership of the Scottish Paediatric Society to all health professionals
demonstrating a continued commitment to Paediatrics and Child Health in Scotland and also to
medical students showing a similar commitment. Members at that time agreed in principle to the
proposal with the understanding that a robust process should be implemented within which the
appropriateness of all membership proposals would be considered. Dr Ian Laing updated members
and presented a proposal on behalf of the Executive Committee of how this now may be taken
forward. The benefits of interdisciplinary working between those health professionals sharing a
commitment to provide the best for all children were considered. Dr Laing also pointed out the legal
aspects directing this suggestion of change in as far as the Society is not “Scottish Society of
Paediatricians”. Greater inclusiveness of membership has also been promoted by RCPCH.
Dr Laing presented the following proposed changes to the Constitution of the Society on screen for the
consideration of membersOrdinary membership of the Scottish Paediatric Society is available to the following groups:
1. Paediatricians working in Scotland or with an affiliation to Paediatrics in Scotland
2. Trainee Paediatricians working in Scotland or with an affiliation to Paediatrics in Scotland
3. Medical Students in Scotland, or with an affiliation to Scotland, who intend to practise
Paediatrics as a career
4. Professionals of other disciplines who have demonstrated a commitment to furthering Child
Health in Scotland.
5. Retired Paediatricians with an affiliation to Paediatrics in Scotland shall automatically change
from ordinary to extraordinary members.
The Executive of the Scottish Paediatric Society will support a Membership Committee which will
study applications from the above five groups.
Correspondence to:
Dr Christine Findlay, Consultant Paediatrician, Crosshouse Hospital, Crosshouse, Kilmarnock KA2 OBE
Phone: 01563 825764, Fax: 01563 827832, e-mail: christine.findlay@aaaht.scot.nhs.uk
President: Dr Ian Laing
Honorary Secretary: Dr Christine Findlay
christine.findlay@aaaht.scot.nhs.uk
www.rcpch.ac.uk/sps
Dr Tom Turner asked for clarification of the term “with an affiliation to” and Dr Ian Laing provided
examples, including a General Practitioner with a paediatric interest/fellowship. Dr Michael Colvin
raised a concern that by extending membership the Society may possibly become demedicalised. It
was recognised that all potential new members shall continue to require nomination by two
established Scottish Paediatric Society members. It was agreed that point 4. referred to within the
proposal shall be changed to “Health Professionals of other disciplines who have demonstrated a
commitment to furthering Child Heath in Scotland”.
Dr Laing asked members to vote and the motion was passed with the agreement of over two thirds
majority. This shall now be taken forwarded by the Executive Committee.

SPS Annual Membership Subscription and Registration Fees for meetings
Dr Ian Laing revisited the discussion as documented under Item 7 (Financial Report 2013 – 2014).
The Executive Committee have taken into account the recurring increased annual financial outgoings
and have also recognised that sponsorship for Scottish Paediatric Society meetings is generally
becoming more difficult to secure, reflective of the economic climate. Dr Laing presented a motion
supported by the Executive Committee for review of the annual membership subscription fees and
registration fees for SPS meetings.
This motion suggests that the annual membership subscription fee should be £20 for medical students
and should increase from £20 to £40 for all other members and that registration fees for meetings
should be reviewed in line with the following: - Full fee, now also including FY1 and FY2 £40; medical
students £10 if not SPS members and free if members; senior retired members £20.
Dr Eric Coleman expressed his resistance to the proposal and to the changes in the constitution and
his opinion was duly considered. Dr Christine Findlay suggested that instead an invitation may be
extended to senior retired members for payment of £20 registration fee towards meetings and this was
felt to be acceptable.
The proposals were accepted by members and shall now be taken forward by the Executive
Committee.
10. AOCB
No other issues were raised.
Dr Ian Laing handed the presidency of the Scottish Paediatric Society to Dr Jack Beattie. Dr Ishaq
Abu-Arafeh shall now join the Executive Committee as President Elect.
Future meetings
SPS Summer meeting, Lanarkshire, Friday 5 June 2015.
St Andrew’s Day Paediatric Symposium, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Friday 27
November 2015.
Date and Place of next meeting
The 93rd Annual General Meeting shall be held before the St Andrew’s Day Paediatric Symposium on
Friday 27 November 2015, at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
Minutes prepared by Christine Findlay, Honorary Secretary SPS.
Correspondence to:
Dr Christine Findlay, Consultant Paediatrician, Crosshouse Hospital, Crosshouse, Kilmarnock KA2 OBE
Phone: 01563 825764, Fax: 01563 827832, e-mail: christine.findlay@aaaht.scot.nhs.uk