As part of RCGP's partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), RCGP International team ran a webinar on lessons from healthcare professionals in pandemic recovery. 

The webinar explored the challenges experienced throughout the crisis, ways in which health services adapted at speed to manage increasing demands and the epidemiological and global public health lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic. Expert perspectives provided on topics including: 

• Will lessons learnt result in a ‘Pandemic Treaty’ with health systems and health workers at its core? A global perspective’
• How COVID has changed Primary Care in the UK
• Planning, administrations and implementations beyond hospitals
• Competencies to address the next pandemic, how the system can prepare, and lessons learnt so far from COVID-19

Webinar chair:

• Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick, Chief Operating Officer, The Royal College of General Practitioners 

Webinar speakers:

• Mr Jim Campbell, Director, Health Workforce, World Health Organisation 
• Professor Martin Marshall, Chair of Council, Royal College of General Practitioners
• Dr Shuchin Bajaj, Founder Director at Ujala Cygnus Healthcare Service
• Professor Wanicha Chuenkongkaew, President of The Royal College of Ophthalmologists of Thailand

Presentation slides:

Dr Jim Campbell

Dr Jim Campbell, WHO Health Workforce Director, provided an update on the impact COVID-19 has had on health and care workers. This included the availability and distribution of vacancies, direct health effects, wellbeing, and working conditions.

Disruptions to health services globally were discussed, alongside a breakdown of barriers to accessing key COVID-19 tools such as PPE, diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccinations.

Dr Campbell spoke on a call to action to protect the mental health of health and care workers, and a global strategy for achieving universal health coverage. This was followed by a framework for investing in both competency-based education and public health capacity. 

Professor Martin Marshall

Professor Martin Marshall, Chair of RCGP Council outlined key points regarding how COVID-19 has changed primary care within the UK, including the future role of remote consultations and patient triage.

The prevalence of tech enabled innovations such as e-prescribing, oximetry, virtual meetings and clinical messaging applications reflected a rise in remote appointments between March 2020 and July 2022.

This was followed by a summary on population health, increased patient needs, and the next steps for government in line with the RCGP's 'Fit for Future' campaign.

Dr Shuchin Bajaj

Dr Shuchin Bajaj, Founder Director at Ujala Cygnus Healthcare Service, discussed the implementation of a COVID-19 recovery plan that stretches beyond hospitals.

Comparisons were drawn between the first pandemic wave and the second, and how communities were unprepared and ill-equipped for both scenarios. 

Dr Bajaj explored solutions and approaches for further management on a larger scale. This included widespread volunteering, free to access teleconsultations, and counselling sessions.

Wanicha Chuenkongkaew

Professor Wanicha Chuenkongkaew, President of the Royal College of Ophthalmology Thailand, addressed competencies to approach the next pandemic. 

This included six in-depth WHO Global Competencies for UHC (universal health coverage), post-pandemic health care, and how the system can prepare from lessons learnt so far.

Professor Chuenkongkaew then outlined how equity and quality services at all levels of primary health care can induce UHC and support other health systems.

All speakers felt it would and pointed to the need for learning from the current pandemic, recognising the challenge of making it more effective, to be ready and more cooperative globally.

The panel agreed on the importance of solidarity and investing in health and education.