The RCGP council has elected current honorary secretary Professor Amanda Howe and Dr Tim Ballard as vice-chairs following overwhelming victories in a ballot last week.
Professor Howe, a lecturer at the University of East Anglia and a sessional GP in Norwich, has been elected vice chair for external affairs after receiving 46 votes to 17 cast for Dr Mary Lowth, a GP in East Anglia at an election at the RCGP council meeting on Friday.
She hit the headlines with her view that GP consultations should be lengthened to 30 minutes and she authored the RCGP report that called for general practice to be redefined as a specialism.
Dr Ballard, a GP in Wiltshire, was elected vice chair for professional development, beating challenger Dr Andy Spooner by 49 votes to 12. Dr Ballard was elected to RCGP council last year.
They will both take up their roles in November, to work with chair-elect Dr Maureen Baker. Dr Baker was elected chair in May ahead of Dr Steve Mowle.
Neil Hunt, the RCGP chief executive and council returning officer, praised Dr Ballard and Professor Howe, thanking all four candidates for ‘contesting the roles and making this a truly fair and open contest’.
