Dear BPPA members, It is three months since I sent you my first report. I therefore wish to update you on the developments since.

ETRI Project
Since the last report we were informed by the previous office bearers that our planned project at Mansehra did not take off because of difficulties we encountered in working with our partners in National Commission for Human Development. However work has continued in Azad Kashmir in collaboration with the Pakistan Armed Forces.

The second phase of this project has now commenced. Brigadier Rana who was in UK recently has pledged to provide us with regular updates. Your executives have appointed a monitoring committee headed by Sohail Qureshi. Other members are Farida Yusuf, Anjum Bashir and Akmal Makhdum. The committee will present a detailed report at the AGM in November.

Naya Qadam Project
Nothing further to report

ABPPA
ABPPA held its inaugural conference on 19 May 2007 in London with a colourful social programme in the evening for doctors and their families. It was attended by a large number of Pakistani doctors including many members of BPPA. Overall the meeting was a success. ABPPA has a website now that can be visited for more recent updates.

Regional Executives Elections 2007
Your executives unanimously decided at their meeting in April 07 to hold these
elections without further delay to conclude by the end of June 2007. The tenure of the previous executives had expired. I am pleased to inform that we successfully completed this process within agreed timescale and you would have received the results of the elections. All the members, executives and those who put forward their nominations must be congratulated for their contribution to achieving another important democratic milestone.

Membership
I am pleased to inform that since my last report we have considerably improved our membership and the current paid up membership of over 150 is the highest in any single calendar year since the inception of our organisation. Thanks to all the members and executives for their hard work to achieve this milestone.

To further improve the membership your executives have approved following subscription rates for 2007

I again personally request all of you to send your subscriptions for 2007 if you
have not done it yet. Membership Form Attached

Regional Meetings
The 2nd West Midlands Regional Meeting was held in Birmingham on 6 June 2007 organised by the Regional Executive Iqbal Naeem.

The 3rd North West Regional Meeting was held in Lancashire on 23 June 2007 organised by the Regional Executive Shahid Munir Ahmad.

Both these meeting were very well organised and attended. Thanks to both our Regional Executives for their hard work.

Social Events
Anjum Bashir our Social Secretary is in the process of organising a Cricket match between BPPA and other Psychiatric Association. He is also planning an independent social evening for members and families at the end of day one of our annual conference. To comply with current guidelines members will be asked to contribute to cover the cost of the social event.

Further suggestions to AnjumDR@aol.com

Trainees' Events
The first of these, a Workshop for ST Interview skills was held in the West Midlands on 6 April 2007. It was lead by Dr. Shahid Quraishi, Consultant Psychiatrist, Lancashire and was attended by 15 trainees who all provided a very positive feedback.

I am hoping to organise further workshops on ECT, Research Skills, Risk Assessment and Examination skills in the near future.

I request the trainees and senior members to let me have their suggestions for topics and their offers of contribution for future events.

The BPPA Young Researcher of the Year Award
This is the new initiative of your organisation. Please actively encourage all those eligible, to put forward their nominations. Details can be found on

http://www.bppauk.org/bppayoungresearcher.htm

The BPPA Annual Clinical Audit Competition
This is another new initiative of your organisation. Please actively encourage all
those eligible, to put forward their nominations. Details can be found on

http://www.bppauk.org/bppa_annual_clinical_audit_competition.htm

Annual Conference
Our 6th Annual Conference will be held on 3-4 November 2007 at Holiday Inn Hotel Coventry. We will have an exciting scientific programme including lectures, brief presentations, Annual Clinical Audit Competition, workshops and a Poster Exhibition. The Scientific Committee comprising Anjum Bashir, Farida Yusuf, Nusrat Hussain and Melanie Abas will organise this. Any member wishing to contribute may contact AnjumDR@aol.com

And Congratulations to

Arshad Mahmood on being awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Psychiatrists

Afzal Javed on being awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland

Tayyab Tahir, Maqsood Ahmad, Yusuf Pervez and Faheem Ahmed on their new consultant appointments

Qasim Munir Mirza & Ejaz Farooq on being awarded MSc & Diploma in Psychiatry respectively by Keele University

All those trainees who were successful in securing Specialist Training positions

Please keep your suggestions coming for us to better respond to your needs.

Wassalaam
Hasan Jawed
hasan.jawed@gmail.com