Czech Society of General Practice

WONCA 2013

Society for General Practice
Czech Medical Association of Jan Evangelista Purkyně

The Society of General Practice (SVL) was founded on 12 April 1980 in Prague, two years after the general practice had been recognized as a separate medical specialty.

At that time the principal aim was to define and outline general practice as a medical specialty in its own right. Above all was needed a system of postgraduate education of physicians. In the reform years after 1990 the Society of General Practice also played an important role. At that time general practitioners focused mostly on issues connected with the exercise of the profession and the Society encouraged activities in this field, backing them with expert arguments.

The growing membership gradually enhanced the credit of the Society: its representatives gained influence in interdisciplinary discussions and expert meetings, particularly on matters concerning education of professionals and scientific development of general medicine.

Over the years the Society became a member of many international professional organisations (SIMG, WONCA, E.A.N.A et al.) and its representatives held important posts. The 1987 SIMG congress took place in Prague; ten years later the Society of General Practice organised the European conference of WONCA. Prague also hosted the meetings of European working groups EURACT and EquiP and the Society repeatedly co-organised WHO meetings of primary care representatives from Central and Eastern Europe. In 2006 it invited representatives of GP professional associations from Central and Eastern Europe to an International Symposium on General Practice/Family Medicine.

At present the Society participates in development of practical guidelines, updates policy documents and, as one of the principal partners, takes part in negotiations concerning powers and responsibilities of the general practitioner and the price of his/her work. Expert representatives of the Society are often invited to take part in preparing various prevention programmes: most recently they have been co-authors of the general screening programme for colorectal cancer and plan to get involved in enhancing breast cancer prevention activities. A number of general practitioners took part in the research into early diagnostics of prostate cancer, in the drawing up of a major epidemiological study of the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori etc. General practitioners publish expert articles on behalf of the Society, speak at domestic and international congresses and participate in the work of international working groups. The Society supports the development of academic departments of primary care at all seven medical faculties in the Czech Republic.

The Society of General Practice has been accredited by the Czech Medical Chamber to organise educational seminars for general practitioners within the Czech CME system. Every year it offers over 150 regional events of this kind, adjusting their agenda to the latest professional and educational needs arising in the field of general medicine. It also continues to hold annual conferences, regularly attended by more than 1000 GPs. Our aim in this particular field is to include an increasing proportion of expert presentations by Society of General Practice Czech Medical Association of Jan Evangelista Purkyne – the candidate for hosting: WONCA 2013 general practitioners themselves. In the framework of the abovementioned activities, the Society has about 10,000 contacts with general practitioners a year.

With regard to the demands of our professional colleagues, it has become necessary to ensure a regular supply of information on all of the Society’s activities. The GP journal “Practicus” is now published regularly, 10 issues a year. To facilitate communication, the Society also has its own website, www.svl.cz

At present the Society for General Practice – Czech Medical Association of Jan Evangelista Purkyně, has the status, potential and general support needed to organise a major event on the scale of the WONCA world conference in 2013.