Steering Group Terms of Reference

A.    Purpose of the Steering Group

This Steering Group has been established to coordinate the development of the NHS Practice Management Network, involving existing national stakeholder organisations specifically to:

  • Influence national policy in relevant areas
  • Share good practice and promote continuous practice improvement via the network
  • Support infrastructure development/engagement creating a national communication network for managers in practice
  • Champion professional recognition and  continuing professional development
  • Provide a strategic role in effective sharing of learning
  • Use established conferences to launch and promote the network, successes of practice managers and enhance the achievements of the above noted aims

B.    Membership of the steering group

  • The steering group members will be practice managers currently working in general practice 
  • Each member of the steering group actively links in with one of the following organisations: RCGP, AMSPAR, IHM, BMA, FDA, NAPC and NHS Alliance
  • The membership of the steering group will be reviewed annually

C.    Structure of the steering group

  • The steering group meetings will be chaired by a Steering Group member. The group agreed that Sandy Gower will be acting as the network’s chair person from September 2009
  • The chair will be reappointed every 6 months, next review in March 2010
  • The secretarial and administrative duties, and taking minutes at meetings will be resourced by the DH
  • The roles of group members and officers will be reviewed after each year i.e. January 2010
  • The chair will act as a co-ordinator at all meetings and the members by vote will make the decisions; all decisions relating to the steering group are made based on a majority vote, which may include the chair
  • All activity carried out under the auspices of the steering group is to be done with prior agreement from the group members; this should  also include declaration of interests of conflict

D.    Group meetings

  • Meetings will initially be monthly, but move to alternate months as work progresses; alternatives to face to face meetings such as teleconferences to be used to maintain communication but reduce cost and demands on time
  • This group will use secure email as a means of communicating to each other
  • This steering group will exist until the project has expired or until the NHS Practice Management Network takes over the process.

E.    Finance and resources

  • The DH has pledged to fund the group’s admin and programme support for 2 years (until March 2011)
  • The funding will cover costs associated with the running of the steering group; meeting room hire, agreed fees and expenses for steering group members, administration and programme support
  • To request additional funding from the DH or other organisations to fund specific initiatives, the steering group shall proactively submit its workplan/business plan with estimated costs
  • Members of the steering group will be paid an agreed honorarium as per DOH rates as well as reasonable travelling expenses

F.    Accountability

  • The network steering group will be accountable to the members of NHS Practice Management network
  • Systems and mechanisms for doing this will be agreed and clarified at one of the future meetings

G.    Review

  • These Terms of Reference will be reviewed every 6 months, or as requested by members. Next review will take place in March 2010