1

The Association shall be called the Association of Physicians of Great Britain and Ireland. Its objects shall be the advancement of Internal Medicine.

2

The meetings of the Association shall be conducted in a manner that promotes friendship amongst Physicians, and those with an interest in translational medicine.

3

It shall consist of Fellows, Honorary and Overseas Honorary Fellows, Members and Overseas Members. There is no restriction on the number of Members, who shall be Physicians, and those with an interest in translational medicine, actively engaged in the teaching of medicine or research or related activities.  The number of Overseas Members is not restricted. Persons of distinction in translational medicine, who have contributed to its advancement, are eligible as Honorary Fellows. Overseas Honorary Fellows may not exceed ten in number. All Fellows shall resign at the end of the calendar year in which they retire from the practice of medicine. Such retiring members may be nominated by the Executive Committee for election as Senior Fellows.

4

The business of the Association shall be overseen by a Board of Trustees, this is the AoP’s governing body as a Charity. It is responsible for the management of the Association’s business in line with its Objects. It has the authority to carry out the AoP’s charitable responsibilities. It seeks advice from its Executive Committee (ExCom) and delegates the operational aspects of its affairs to its ExCom and sub-committees.

5

Board of Trustees

Meets face to face or by video conference at least once a year at a time that is convenient.

The Board of Trustees consists of: Chair; President Elect; President; Past President; Ex-Officio – Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer and 2 x NED roles.

To be quorate the Board shall not be less than once half of their number.

The Chair of the Trustee Board shall be appointed by the Board for an initial 3 year term of office, extendable by a further 3 years subject to the approval of the Board.

Fellows of the Association are eligible for appointment to the role of Trustee.

Executive Committee

Meets face to face or by video conference at least three times a year at a time that is convenient.

ExCom is representative of the Membership and consists of: President, President Elect, Treasurer, Secretary and twelve Members. (Not chair or past president)

Five shall form a quorum.

All are elected annually as below:

The President and President-Elect shall be elected annually, and shall be ex officio members of the Committee.

The Treasurer, Secretary and the twelve Members shall hold office for three years. Four shall retire annually, and shall not be eligible for re-election until after the lapse of three years or unless an exception is proposed by the Executive Committee. Should other vacancies occur on the Committee, Members shall be elected at the next General Meeting to complete the term of office of the retiring Members.

No candidate may be proposed for election to these offices unless his name, duly proposed and seconded, has been sent to the Secretary, at least three weeks before the Annual Meeting.

The list of candidates proposed for election of Trustee / Executive Committee Member shall be circulated and elected at the General Meeting.

Trustees and Executive Committee members may be reimbursed expenses during their term. None of the trustees / Executive Committee (or any persons connected with them) receive any remuneration for their services.

6

Each division of the Kingdom shall be adequately represented on the Committee. 

7

The Treasurer shall receive subscriptions, pay all bills, and present the accounts yearly to the Executive Committee and to the General Meeting.

8

The Secretary shall summon all Meetings and shall keep brief Minutes of what passes. He/she shall send, not less than one week before the General Meeting, to each Member of the Association a list of candidates for the various offices, and agenda papers as may be requisite.

9

Sub-committees may be convened and disbanded as required and report to ExCom. Their responsibilities may include but not be limited to:

·         The Programme Organising Committee – the arrangements of the General Meeting.

·         The Internal Affairs Committee – fellows and membership, training and career development, grants, and prizes.

o   Part of its duties is to carefully consider membership applications and to scrutinise and score self-nominations for Fellowship and make recommendations to an independent panel of Fellows for an anonymised peer review process and shortlisting. The shortlist is put to the Fellowship for an electronic vote.

·         The External Affairs Committee – partnering & external communications, international and national representatives of other organisations

·         The Emerging Clinical Researchers Committee (ECRs) – managing the ECR workshop at the annual meeting, as well as webinars and other meetings

10

The Secretary shall be responsible for the local arrangements needful for the ensuing General Meeting.

11

A General Meeting shall be held once a year, the actual date to be decided by the Executive Committee in consultation with the local Committee.

12

The General Meetings shall be held in University towns, and in towns which are the seat of recognised Medical Schools representing six regions of the UK and Ireland: West/North West, East/North East, South West and Wales, South/South East, Scotland and Ireland.  

13

General Meetings shall be held for the purpose of:
(1) The election of Officers and Members of the Executive Committee.

(2) The election of New Members.

(3) The presentation of Accounts.

(4) The election of the next place of meeting.

(5) Revision of governance and statutes of the Association

(6) Scientific business.

14

New Members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting following written application. 

Fellows are confirmed at the Annual General Meeting and selected for their outstanding contribution to the advancement of translational medicine within a clinical science and / or academic medicine background. Fellows have a shared vision of the value of interdisciplinary collaboration, seeking out and promoting new ways of working and encouraging translational research leading to the advancement of internal medicine and direct benefits to patients.

Fellowship may also be conferred on individuals who have made an outstanding contribution in other ways, e.g.:

·         Those who have contributed to translational research by leadership, inspiration, or the advancement of translational research in a senior management capacity.

·         Those who have raised the public understanding or appreciation of translational research.

·         Those who in other ways have rendered a conspicuous service to translational research.

Nomination / Election Process (refer to AoP Website for eligibility criteria and timetable)

·         An annual election is overseen by the Honorary Secretary.

·         Application is via self-nomination.

·         Applications are approved via an internal and external peer review process.

·         The Internal Affairs Committee scrutinise and score candidates and make recommendations to an independent panel of Fellows for an anonymised peer review process and shortlisting.

·         Seeking external peer review to confirm candidates are of appropriate standing to meet the criteria of Fellowship.

·         The shortlist is put to the Fellowship for an electronic vote.

·         The number of Fellows to be elected each year will not normally exceed 10.

·         The elected Fellows will be confirmed at the AGM. 

15

Scientific communications shall be spoken, not read. Members shall be at liberty to publish their communication when and where they please.

16

A summary of the proceedings of the meetings shall be published in The Quarterly Journal of Medicine.

17

Non-members (and non-Fellows) may attend the General Meeting on payment of the appropriate fee and at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

A detailed travel expenditure allowance policy is in place regarding reimbursement of costs for invited speakers.

18

The annual subscription will be paid by the Members and Fellows and entitle them to a reduced fee for the General Meeting and other benefits. Senior members will be exempt from the annual subscription. All Members will receive electronic access to the Quarterly Journal of Medicine free of charge. The subscription may be carried at the discretion of the Officers subject to the approval of the Annual General Meeting.   Subscriptions shall be payable to the Treasurer on Election and annually thereafter. A Member/Fellow who is 3 months in arrears shall be warned by the Treasurer. A Member who is more than twelve months in arrears and has been duly notified thereof shall, unless immediate payment be made, cease, ipso facto, to be a Member of the Association.

19

Notice of any proposal to amend or alter the existing rules, or to pass new rules, must be sent to the Secretary not later than one month before the next ensuing General Meeting, and must appear on the agenda of the said meeting in the form of a motion.