NORTH WEST REGIONAL COUNCIL

INVITATION TO REGIONAL COUNCIL ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING 2014AND CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR EXECUTIVE

You are invited to a meeting of the ASSEMBLY of the North West Regional Council on Tuesday 7th October 2014 at 6.30pm at Thistle Haydock Hotel, Penny Lane, Haydock, WA11 9SG.

A buffet will be available from 6.00pm.

This will be an opportunity for all members in the region to get involved in the work of the Regional Council as we face the challenges ahead.

This meeting is being held under new rules for Regional Councils that have been amended by the Organisation Committee following last year’s Annual Business Meetings (attached for information). Under the rules there is an ASSEMBLY of the Regional Council which consists of all BMA members with a registered address in the geographical area of the Regional Council. The rules also provide for an EXECUTIVE and OFFICERS of the Regional Council.

The first part of the meeting will be the Annual Business Meeting, the purpose of which is to elect six members of the EXECUTIVE of the Regional Council.

Both parts of the meeting are open to all BMA members with a registered address within the Regional Council’s geographical boundaries. If you believe that this invite is not appropriate for your registered address, then please email . Those wishing to attend must register their intention by emailing by Friday 3rd October. Members who arrive at the meeting without registering their intention to attend will be allowed to attend and vote, at the discretion of the Chairman, subject to producing a current BMA membership card and signing a declaration that their registered address is within the geographical boundary of the Regional Council. Please note this new requirement to produce a current BMA membership card if you have not registered in advance to attend the meeting.

Nominations are invited for six members of the ASSEMBLY to serve on the EXECUTIVE for one year.

Nominations are open to all voting members of the BMA with a registered address within the geographical area of the Regional Council.

Members elected last year to one of the Assembly places on the Executive are eligible to stand for re-election, provided they still meet the requirements of being a BMA member with a registered address in the region.

Members of the Executive by other routes (ie under rules 5.1-5.4) are not eligible to stand for election in this category. Officers of the Regional Council are not eligible to stand for election in this category. Those elected will hold office for one year.

The EXECUTIVE will normally meet at least three times a year, in addition to the Annual Business Meeting. Travel expenses for attendance at EXECUTIVE meetings will be paid in accordance with BMA policy. Travel expenses cannot be paid for this meeting.

Candidates may nominate themselves on the attached form. There is no requirement for a candidate to be nominated by another member.

Candidates may submit an election statement if they wish, up to a maximum of 250 words, on the nomination form. Election statements received at least ten working days in advance of the Annual Business Meeting will be published on the Regional Council’s website. Statements received after that date will not be published or circulated.

All nominations close at the start of the Annual Business Meeting: 7thOctober2014.

Candidates do not need to be present at the Annual Business Meeting in order to stand for election.

Nomination forms and election statements should be sent to posted to BMA NW Centre, 35 Seymour Terrace, Liverpool L3 5PE.

Nominations made on the day of the Annual Business Meeting should be given to the BMA official responsible for the meeting in hard copy prior to the start of the meeting. Nominations made on the day shall only be accepted on production of a current BMA membership card and a signed declaration that the member’s registered address is within the geographical boundary of the Regional Council.

Elections will be conducted in accordance with the procedure set out in Appendix 1. Please note that the revised rules state that the election should be held under such constraints that one person elected should, where possible, be a retired member and one should, where possible, be from “other” medical practice. No more than one retired member and no more than one member from “other” medical practice shall be elected as an Assembly member of the Executive.

Appendix 1

ELECTIONS AT REGIONAL COUNCIL ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING

Election for six members of ASSEMBLY to serve on the EXECUTIVE and OFFICERS OF Regional Council.

1.No further nominations may be made after the start of the meeting.

2.Where only one of the nominations is from a retired member, that person will be declared elected prior to the ballot (see rule 5.5). Similarly, if only one nomination is from a member in the “other” medical category, then that person will be declared elected prior to the ballot. The ballot will then be held for the remaining four or five places on the EXECUTIVE from amongst the remaining candidates.

3.Where there are two or more nominations from retired members and/or two or more nominations from members in “other” medical practice, then the highest placed retired member and/or the highest placed member in “other” medical practice in the ballot will be declared elected, regardless of the position of those candidates in the ballot result The election of the top placed retired member or member in “other” medical practice will automatically mean that the other candidates in those categories are not elected. This constraint will mean that an election is required where there are fewer than six nominations but where that includes two or more retired members and/or two or more in the “other” medical practice category.

4.Ballot papers will be issued to all members present at the meeting with a registered address in the geographical area of the Regional Council. Members vote for up to six candidates by marking a cross against names. Note: members will vote for up to four or five candidates where a retired member or member from “other” medical category has been declared elected in accordance with paragraph 3 above. Where there are fewer than six nominations but this includes two or more retired members and/or two or more in the “other” medical practice category, then each member will vote for one or two less than the number of candidates (depending on whether the nominations include two or more in each category of retired and “other”).

5.Members are required to sign and print their name on ballot papers.

6.Votes will be counted for each candidate and the six with the highest number of votes are declared elected (or fewer, as appropriate in accordance with paragraph 4).

7.Where there is a tie for the final place(s), there will be a further ballot between those candidates. In the event of a further tie, the candidates will draw lots.