Graphical version

Royal College of General Practitioners

RCGP Records of Research Committees and Projects


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 2134 ACE G

Held at: Royal College of General Practitioners

Title: RCGP Records of Research Committees and Projects

Date(s): 1952-1993

Level of description: sub-fonds

Extent: 10 metres

Name of creator(s): Royal College of General Practitioners

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Royal College of General Practitioners was founded in November 1952 to provide an ?academic headquarters for general practice [and] to raise the standards and status of general practice?. The founders of the college wanted it to encourage, guide and co-ordinate research into the problems of general practice. They recognised that general practitioners were in a unique position, they could follow diseases of their patients through all their stages, they had a registered list of patients in which to collect morbidity information and were already keeping standard information in patient records.

One of the first things the new College did in Janaury 1953 was to form a Research Committee, convened by Robin Pinsent (1917-1988). It?s first meeting was held in Bath and although a Council Committee it was for many years administered in Birmingham where Pinsent was based. Advertisements were placed in the British Medical Journal and The Lancet on 31st January 1953 asking for those who were interested in research to place their name on the College?s research register. By the end of 1954 there were over three hundred members on the register. The idea of the register was to bring together people of similar interests so that they could collaborate and get to know what ground had already been covered. A panel was formed to co-ordinate research and give advice and guidance. Doctors with an interest in a particular disease could select co-workers from the register.

A research newsletter was started in September 1953, this initially just went to members of the register but the growth interest led to the register being sent to all members and associates of the College and in January 1958 it was renamed the Journal of the College of General Practitioners [now the British Journal of General Practice]. There was still a need for a clearing house of ideas between members of the register and so the Research Committee started publishing Between Ourselves (1956-1968).

The Research committee published A Guide to Research In General Practice in 1962 to train aspiring general practitioners in research methodology. The second edition published in 1969 was entitled A Handbook of General Practice Research.

The regional faculties of the College were encouraged to set up their own Research Committees and the Council Research Committee maintained a register of all research carried out by College members and associates.

It became clear that it became clear that various different strands of research were being carried out including single practice research such as by John Fry (1922-1995) and multi practice research. The Research Committee organised multi-practice research often through ad hoc working parties. This enabled research such as national morbidity studies to be carried out on a much larger scale than could be undertaken by a small group of workers or by a faculty.

Other activities of the Research Committee were setting up study groups for long term investigations e.g. respiratory diseases; the Research Foundation board (1960-1976, at which point it amalgamated with the Education Foundation to form the Scientific Foundation Board) which awarded grants for research and the Records Unit (1959-1965 later Records and Statistical Unit). This unit was a statistical advisory service and grew out of the experience gained in the first National Morbidity Study of 1955-1956 which had to devise and perfect its own methods of working. The unit devised a classification system for disease known as the ?E Book? after Dr T S Eimerl. The E books developed into a diagnostic index. Other tools developed were the ?Age-Sex Register? by Arthur Watts which was designed so that the contents could be used as punch-cards for computers and the records summary or ?S Card? by James Scott.

In 1966 a Research Department was formed ?The maintenance of high standards of research recording in general practice has never been so difficult. There are now fewer doctors in practice and their capacity to meet the needs of their patients is severely strained. Research work must never be undertaken at the expense of patient care and is an addition to the practitioner?s heavy load. If standards are to be maintained every possible step must be taken to lighten the extra commitments that so many general practitioners now voluntarily assume [annual report 1966].? It was renamed the research division in 1976 which was chaired by Clifford Kay and aimed to advise on research policy, co-ordinate the work of the College research units [See ARE Records of Research Units], encourage primary care research in Britain and abroad. Between 1979 and 1994 Research Intelligence was published by the division giving information on primary care research. The College was restructured in 1988 and the Research Division became the Clinical and Research Division.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Most although not all of the material relates to the 1950s and 1960s when the College was at its height of research activity.
Includes:
Research Committee minutes A CE G 1 - Minutes of meetings of Education and Research Committee (1952-1953), of Research Committee (1953-1975), and of Research and Practice Organisation Committee (1975-1976); Research Committee papers A CE G 2 - Supporting papers for meetings of Research Committee (1953-1969) and Research and Practice Organisation Committee (1975-1976).

Research Committee circulars A CE G 3 Progress reports, 'Blunderbus' letters, Between Ourselves, consolidated comment circulars and related material (1955-1969).

Research Committee general correspondence ACE G4 (1953-1978); Chairman's [Dr Pinsent] correspondence ACE G 5 (1952-1970).

Policy Subcommittee papers A CE G 6 Papers, including minutes of meetings, agendas, reports and correspondence, of the Policy Subcommittee of the Research Committee (1964-1965).

Research Foundation Board minutes A CE G 7 Minutes, mostly signed, of meetings of Research Foundation Committee (1960-1961), of the Research Foundation Board (1961-1974) and of the joint meetings of the Research Foundation Board and the Education Foundation Board (1960-1976); Research Foundation Board papers A CE G 8 Supporting papers for meetings of Research Foundation Board, including duplicate minutes and agendas, reports, applications and some correspondence (1960-1971).

Clinical Research Ethics Committee minutes A CE G 9 Minutes, mostly signed, of meetings of the Clinical Trials Ethical Committee (1981-1989) and of the (renamed) Clinical Trials Ethics Committee (1989-1993).

Oral Contraception Working Party papers A CE G 10 Reports and correspondence of the Oral Contraception Working Party, later called the Oral Contraception Executive Committee (1965-1970). See also papers ARE Manchester Research Unit.
Hospitals and Preventive Medicine Working Party A CE G 10 Papers of Working Party on Relationship of General Practitioners with Hospitals and Preventive Medicine. (1959-1961).

Psychiatry and the General Practitioner Working Party A CE G 12 Reports and correspondence (1956-1958).

General Practice Research Unit Advisory Panel A CE G 13 Minutes, agendas and reports of General Practice Research Unit Advisory Panel (1968-1974).

Records Unit A CE G 14 Reports and correspondence of the Records Unit (later the Records and Statistics Unit) Working Party (1954-1965).

Epidemic Observation Unit A CE G 15 Reports and correspondence of the Epidemic Observation Unit, based in Dr. G. Watson's Surrey practice (1954-1963) See also papers ARE Research Units.

Research Symposium papers A CE G 16 Reports and correspondence concerning College research symposia (1955-1968).

Diagnostic indices A CE G 17 Diagnostic indices developed by Research Committee (c.1962-1968).

Research Registers A CE G 18 Register of members' interests and participation in research, and central register of faculty research. (c.1953-1970); Research Register papers A CE G 19 Reports and correspondence concerning research register (c1953-1969).

Measles investigation papers A CE G 20 Reports and correspondence concerning investigation into the complications of Measles (1953-1958).

Respiratory disease investigation papers A CE G 21 Reports and correspondence concerning investigation into respiratory tract disease and acute chest infection, including chronic bronchitis (1953-1960).

Tonsillectomy Study A CE G 22 Reports and correspondence of tonsillectomy study carried out by the North Midland (Sheffield) Faculty (1953-1961).

Morbidity Survey A CE G 23 Reports and correspondence concerning first national survey of morbidity (1953-1965). [See ARE A5-7 Papers of Birmingham Research Unit for later Morbidity Surveys].

Congenital Deafness Investigation A CE G 24 Reports and correspondence concerning investigation into congenital deafness (1954-1955).

Obstetric Card A CE G 25 Reports and correspondence concerning development of obstetric diagnostic record card (1954-1964).

Prescribing Habits Study A CE G 26 Reports and correspondence concerning prescribing (or therapeutic) habits (1954-1960).

Pink Disease Investigation A CE G 27 Reports and correspondence concerning investigation into Pink Disease [babyhood mercury poisoning] conducted by the South-West England Faculty (1955-1956).

Asthma Investigation A CE G 28 Reports and correspondence concerning investigation into asthma in childhood conducted by Welsh Faculty (1955-1959).

Farmer's Lung ACE G 29 Reports and correspondence concerning investigation into Farmer's Lung conducted by Dr F Staines (1955-1961).

Pernicious Anaemia ACE G 30 Reports and correspondence concerning study of pernicious Anaemia (1955-1960).

Epilepsy Investigation ACE G 31 Reports and correspondence concerning investigation into epilepsy and convulsive disorders of children under five years old (1955-1968).

Virus Disease A CE G 32 Reports and correspondence concerning Dr. R. Pinsent's paper on virus disease (1955-1956).

Headache investigation A CE G 33 Reports and correspondence concerning investigation conducted by the Hull and East Riding Subfaculty into headache (1955-1956).

Research Techniques A CE G 34 Reports and correspondence concerning study of research techniques, including the 'Family Folder' and the 'Portfolio Plan' (1956-1957).

Herpes Zoster Investigation A CE G 35 1956 Reports and correspondence concerning investigation conducted by Midland Faculty into the use of Vitamin B12 in the treatment of herpes zoster (1956).

Diabetes Survey A CE G 36 Reports and correspondence concerning a proposed survey conducted by the Hull and East Riding Subfaculty on diabetes (1957).

Daffodil Dermatitis Investigation A CE G 37 Reports and correspondence concerning investigation conducted by South-West England Faculty into daffodil dermatitis (1956-1957).

Hypertension study A CE G 38 Reports and correspondence concerning studies ofhypertension variously conducted by Dr. A. de la Mallett, Dr. D. Wheatley, the Northern Home Counties Faculty, and the New South Wales Faculty (1957-1960).

Pharmacopoeia Revision A CE G 39 Reports and correspondence concerning revision of the British Pharmacopoeia (1953-1962).

Intercontinental Medical Statistics ACE G40 Reports and correspondence concerning Intercontinental Medical Statistics (1958-1961).

Operational Research survey A CE G 41Reports and correspondence concerning survey of operational (or organisational) research in general practice (1959-1963).

Persantin trial A CE G 42 Reports and correspondence concerning trial of 'Persantin' by Dr. L. Hunt of Pfizer Ltd. (1959-1960).

Drug Addiction Working Party A CE G 43 Reports, correspondence, and minutes of meetings of the Drug Addiction Working Party (1959).

Alcoholism study A CE G 44 Correspondence concerning proposed study group on alcoholism, including material regarding the Joseph Rowntree Social Service Trust's Steering Group on Alcoholism (1959-1960).

Flumidin trial A CE G 45 Reports and correspondence concerning trial of 'Flumidin' organised by Bayer Products Ltd. (1959-1960).

Cancer Study Group A CE G 46 Reports and correspondence of Cancer Study Group (1960-1967).

Glaucoma survey A CE G 47 Correspondence concerning glaucoma survey (1960).

Tamar Valley Soil study papers A CE G 48 Reports and correspondence concerning study of the consequences for human health of the mineral composition (particularly lead concentrations) of soil in the Tamar Valley (1963-1964).

Hernia study A CE G 49 Reports and correspondence concerning study of hernia conducted by Dr. E. Gancz of the South-East England Faculty (1963-1966).

Roadside Lead survey A CE G 50 Reports and correspondence concerning comparative study of levels of lead concentration in roadside privets near Newcastle, Falmouth and Tavistock (1963-1966).

Multiple Sclerosis study A CE G 51 Reports and correspondence concerning study of multiple Sclerosis.

Air Pollution study A CE G 52 Reports and correspondence concerning a study of air pollution in London and Sheffield (1964-1966).

Linkage study A CE G 53 Correspondence concerning studies of linkage of medical records conducted by the College Records Unit (in North Staffordshire) and the Northern Ireland Faculty (1964-1966).

Mental Illness survey A CE G 54 Reports and correspondence concerning survey of mental illness (1964-1965).

Nurse referral study A CE G 55 Reports and correspondence concerning study of general practitioners' patterns of nurse referral (1964-1967).

Nutrition in Pregnancy survey A CE G 56 Reports and correspondence concerning survey of nutrition in pregnancy conducted by the College in conjunction with the Ministry of Health (1964-1966).

Records Summary Card A CE G 57 Reports and correspondence concerning development of a records summary card ('S' card) by the College Records and Statistical Unit (1956-1968).

Diabetes Survey Working Party A CE G 58 Reports and correspondence of Diabetes Study Working Party (1962-1968).

Congenital Abnormalities survey A CE G 59 Reports and correspondence concerning a survey of congenital abnormalities (1960-1966).

Epsom College survey A CE G 60 Papers concerning health survey of Epsom College schoolchildren (1965).

Nutrition and Disease study A CE G 61 Reports and correspondence concerning a 'longitudinal' study of nutrition and disease, particularly dietary sugar, conducted by Prof. J. Yudkin (1965).

.Trace Element Uptake study A CE G 62 Reports and correspondence concerning study of mineral trace element uptake in vegetation conducted by the College in conjunction with the Chester Beatty Research Institute (1965-1966).

Schizophrenia study A CE G 63 Reports and correspondence concerning study of schizophrenia (1966-1970).

Welsh Soils Discussion Group A CE G 64 Reports and correspondence of Welsh Soils Discussion Group of University College of North Wales (1967-1971).

Urban Mineralization Study A CE G 65 Reports and correspondence concerning study of mineral composition of the soil in the Birmingham urban area (1972).

Viral Diseases in Pregnancy study A CE G 66 Reports and correspondence concerning a study of viral diseases in pregnancy (1972).

Meldon Reservoir study A CE G 67 Reports and correspondence concerning mineral trace elements in the Meldon Reservoir (formerly West Okemont Valley) (1968-1972).

Scientific Foundation Board A CE G 68 Records relating to the Scientific Foundation Board. (1976-1993).

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

By Committee and/or project

Conditions governing access:

Access is at the discretion of the Royal College of General Practitioners. Requests for access should be made in writing to The Archivist, Royal College of General Practitioners, 14 Princes Gate, Hyde Park, London SW7 1PU.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright is vested in the Royal College of General Practitioners.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

A database of all of the College archives, down to individual file level is maintained by the Archivist. The database can be searched in the College library. There is a card index of all research projects 1952-1968 in the archives.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Regular accruals expected.

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

RCGP Research Department

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

RCGP holds related material in Central College archives: Quality & Clinical A CE J; Records generated by committees and projects concerned with quality standards and clinical practice; Research Unit Records 1957-1993 A RE and in Private papers (W O Williams papers, 1958-1988 BWO, includes Swansea Research unit papers; Dinwoodie papers, 1962-1992 B/DIN Includes Scottish GP Research Support Unit, Dundee); John Hunt, Lord Hunt of Fawley papers, 1930-1984; Professor Patrick Byrne papers, 1950-1983 B/BY; Sir James Mackenzie papers, 1870-1970 B/MCK; John Fry papers 1955-1995 B/FR).

Publication note:

RGCP Annual Reports 1953-2001 summarise research projects; some research papers are published in: Research Newsletter 1953-1959; Journal of the College of General Practitioners 1960-1966; Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners 1967-1976; British Journal of General Practice 1976-2001; Reports From General Practice 1965-1975; Studies on Medical Population Series [HMSO]; Oral Contraception and Health. An Interim report from the oral contraception Study (RCGP, 1974). General Histories of the RCGP include information on research: A History of the Royal College of General Practitioners edited by John Fry, Lord Hunt of Fawley and RJFH Pinsent (1983); The Royal College of General Practitioners Forty Years On (RCGP, 1992).

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Compiled by Claire Jackson, College Archivist, Royal College of General Practitioners.

Rules or conventions: National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997; ISAD(G), Second Edition, 2000

Date(s) of descriptions: March 2002


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Alcoholism | Addiction | Social problems
Anaemia | Diseases | Pathology
Asthma | Diseases | Pathology
Blood disorders | Diseases | Pathology
Brain diseases | Diseases | Pathology
Cancer | Diseases | Pathology
Contraception | Birth control | Family planning
DNA viruses | Organisms
Deafness | Disabilities | Pathology
Demyelinating diseases | Diseases | Pathology
Dermatitis | Skin diseases | Diseases | Pathology
Diabetes | Diseases | Pathology
Diabetes mellitus | Diseases | Pathology
Dietary surveys | Diet | Dietetics | Systems of medicine
Disease control | Health policy | Health
Drug abuse | Addiction | Social problems
Drug control | Drug policy | Health policy | Health
Drug tolerance | Pharmacology
Environmental health | Health policy | Health
Environmental quality | Environmental management
Epidemiology | Health policy | Health
Epilepsy | Diseases | Pathology
Gastrointestinal diseases | Diseases | Pathology
General practice | Medical sciences
Glaucoma | Eye diseases | Diseases | Pathology
Health statistics | Health
Hernia | Diseases | Pathology
Herpes viruses | Viruses | Microorganisms | Bacteriology | Microbiology
Hypertension | Diseases | Pathology
Injuries | Pathology
Lead | Metals | Inorganic chemicals | Chemicals
Maternal and child health | Health policy | Health
Measles | Infectious diseases | Diseases | Pathology
Measles virus | Viruses | Microorganisms | Bacteriology | Microbiology
Mental health | Health
Mental stress | Psychological effects | Behaviour
Midwifery | Nursing | Medical sciences
Multiple sclerosis | Diseases | Pathology
Nutrition | Physiology
Obstetrics | Medical sciences
Oncology | Medical sciences
Paediatrics | Medical sciences
Paramedical personnel | Medical personnel | Medical profession | Medical sciences
Pharyngeal diseases | Diseases | Pathology
Physicians | Medical personnel | Medical profession | Medical sciences
Pregnancy | Human reproduction | Physiology
Skin and connective tissue diseases | Diseases | Pathology
Social surveys | Social research
Substance abuse | Diseases | Pathology
Surgery | Medical sciences
Tonsillitis | Diseases | Pathology
Vascular diseases | Diseases | Pathology
Abuse
Autoimmune diseases
Health education
Medical research
Personnel
Psychiatry
Reproductive cycle
Vertebrate viruses

Personal names
Crombie | Donald Lascelles | 1922-2000 | general practitioner
Davis | Robert Harvard | 1924-1999 | Professor of General Practice
Eimerl | Teviot | 1916-1993 | general practitioner
Fleming | Douglas M | b 1936 | general practitioner
Fry | John | 1922-1995 | general practitioner
Gancz | Eugene | 1912-1994 | general practitioner
Hunt | John Henderson | 1905-1987 | general practitioner
Kay | Clifford | b 1927 | general practitioner
Kuenssberg | Ekkehart | Von | 1913-2001 | general practitioner x Von Kuenssberg | Ekkehart
Mallett | A E | de la | d 1976 | general practitioner x de la Mallett | A E
Scott | James | 1917-2000 | general practitioner
Staines | F H | b 1917 | general practitioner
Watts | Arthur | 1910-1998 | general practitioner

Corporate names
College of General Practitioners
Royal College of General Practitioners

Places
Birmingham | Warwickshire | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe
Epsom | Surrey | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe
London | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe
Sheffield | West Riding | Yorkshire | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe
Tamar Valley | Cornwall | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe