Terry Kemple

Terry Kemple (HF 1993-94) had been a full time NHS general practitioner In Bristol for 10 years when he applied for a Harkness Fellowship. A friend who worked at Cumberland Lodge where Harkness fellows held conferences suggested he applied as it fitted with his interests in challenging complacencies, making improvements and valuing sabbaticals. He was based at Harvard in 1993/94 and studied ‘How to improve the performance of physicians’ in particular the recertification of doctors. On his return he continued in full time general practice and had leading roles in teaching, training, research, management, appraisals, building premises, starting a GP Out-of-Hours cooperative, gaining Fellowship of RCGP by assessment, achieving the RCGP Quality Practice Award three times, starting a multi-practice federation, and starting the Green Impact for Health in General Practice project. In his final sabbatical, he explored ‘how to find and spread best practice faster’. His suggestion was ‘find yourself a better network’. He was elected president of Royal College of General Practitioners 2015-17, and was an unsuccessful candidate in the President of the Royal College of Physicians election in 2018. He continues to lead the RCGP’s green/sustainability programme including the Green Impact for health project.