GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL, LEGAL MATTERS & A PhD VIVA

The week beginning 2nd February was an eventful week and an enjoyable and successful one.

On 3rd February, I joined a Panel that led an Insight Workshop run by the UK General Medical Council (GMC) for its staff. The workshop focused on “The Work Environment, Stress and Fitness to Practice“. The workshop took place in the Deansgate offices, Manchester, of the GMC with a broadcast to its London offices. About 60-70 staff attended what developed into an excellent discussion of the key issues, well informed and useful. Thanks to Tom Stocker, GMC, for organising the workshop.

The following day, 4th February, I had a very pleasant lunch with Andrew Buchan, Cloisters, in the Middle Temple Hall, London, and then spent much of the afternoon in Chambers discussing recent twists and turns in health and safety related cases in the Courts. We had a particular interest in the way that the application of the Management Standards approach (Health & Safety Executive) was being interpreted in those cases: time well spent from my point of view: thanks to Andrew Buchan.

In the 13th century, the Inns of Court originated as hostels and schools for student lawyers. The Middle Temple is the western part of “The Temple” which was the headquarters of the Knights Templar until they were dissolved in 1312; the Temple Church still stands as a ‘peculiar’ (extra-diocesan) church of the Inner and Middle Temples. The Inns stopped being responsible for legal education in 1852, although they continue to provide training in areas such as advocacy and ethics for students, pupil barristers and newly qualified barristers. Most of the Inn is occupied by barristers’ Chambers (offices).One of the Middle Temple’s main functions now is to provide education and support for new members to the profession. The Middle Temple Hall also provides lunches for its members.

On the 5th February, my last PhD student registered at Nottingham, Wu Chih-Ying (George), had his PhD viva voce examination: end of an era. George was jointly supervised by Professor Amanda Griffiths and me. His thesis concerned: ” The Influence of Employees’ Parents on Work-Family Balance in Taiwan: Implications for Organisational behaviour and Wellbeing“. The Internal Examiner was Dr Shihning Chou (Nottingham) and the External was Professor Philip Dewe (Birkbeck). The viva was held in the Division of Psychiatry & Applied Psychology in the School of Medicine at Nottingham (where I hold an Emeritus Chair). Part of the Division is situated in the building (above) that once housed the now deceased Institute of Work, Health & Organisations.

George performed well in his viva voce and he was awarded his PhD with only a few minor additions. Congratulations to Wu Chih-Ying (George), a pat on the back for his supervisors particularly Professor Griffiths and thanks to his Examiners Dr Chou and Professor Dewe. Well done everybody. George has now returned to Taiwan and takes with him our best wishes for his future academic career. We now look forward to working with him to help him build that career through his publications.

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