Dr Laurence Buckman – 2014

Dr Laurence Buckman – 2014

The annual London Presidential Lecture  – took place on Thursday 6th November 2014 

The speaker was: Dr Laurence Buckman

[Immediate past Chairman, General Practitioners Committee, British Medical Association]

who spoke  to the Association about his experiences in an address entitled:

“Ordinary Jewish doctor, extraordinary job”

Dr Buckman has been a General Practitioner since 1983 and is a partner in a small practice in London.

He was the Chairman of the British Medical Association’s General Practitioners Committee from 2007 to 2013, having been a negotiator for the profession since 1997.

He was a member of the BMA’s Council and one of their main spokesmen.  He still broadcasts on medicine and medical politics.  He has held a large number of posts in connection with medical education and regulation of the NHS and advises government on health matters.

He has been a tutor in General Practice, with a special interest in remedial teaching, at UCL Medical School since 1985.  He has also been a tutor in General Practice at  Ben Gurion Medical School in Beer Sheva since 2001.

He was the Medical Convenor of the Centre for Jewish Medical Ethics at Jews’ College and attended Rav Jakobovits Doctors’ Shiur for 13 years

In his Presidential Lecture Dr Buckman talked about the training he had received on the way to becoming the Chairman of the UK¹s GPs.  He noted the similarities between consultation skills known to all doctors, and negotiation between the Profession and government.  He explained the political process and “how things happened” in the semi-secret world of politics.  He considered the various Health Secretaries he had met or dealt with over his time at the helm of General Practice.  He concluded by looking at the role of a Jew in that position and what could be done to minimise anti-Semitism in medicine.