MISSION STATEMENT

PCDE exists to provide a focal point for primary care clinicians and their patients. Its purpose is to promote high standards of care throughout Europe. Emphasis is placed on incorporating evidence based medicine into daily practice as well as promoting diabetes education and research in primary care.

AIMS

The association is a non-profit organisation with a scientific goal and aims at pursuing the following objectives:

• to maintain annual or bi-annual conferences, either stand alone or in conjunction with other groups
• to encourage implementation of primary care guidelines in every European Country
• to provide a newsletter and to develop information systems for members
• to encourage multi-disciplinary approach to training, service development and quality improvement
• to establish a network of active contacts in Primary Care Diabetes in Europe
• to explore the needs of health professionals working in Primary Care Diabetes and encourage sharing of professional experience
• to develop closer relationships with other groups working in the field of primary care and diabetes
• to become the voice of Primary Care Diabetes in Europe
• to explore a variety of funding avenues

Policy document 2009 – 2012

ACHIEVEMENTS
The association aims to empower and maintain the following established projects:

• to publish a scientific Journal focussing on all aspects of Primary Diabetes Care
• to support scientific research in the field of Primary Diabetes Care
• to organise conferences, either stand alone, in conjunction with other groups or incorporated within other major congress events
• to keep up an informative website for all members and a broad audience

BACKGROUND

The association was founded according to the objectives of the Saint Vincent Declaration   (1989).

A group of interested primary care physicians met in Athens (1995) and established a first meeting in Lisbon  (1996), formalising accepted objectives, constitution, action plan and a chosen committee. Initially, membership was open to primary care physicians and diabetes nurses. Since July 2001 membership has been open to all professionals working in primary diabetes care.

From 2005 onwards the association is recognised officially by Belgian law as an international non for profit organisation. 

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Membership

Individual membership is open to all professionals working in Primary Diabetes Care. Our current membership is about 4200 members. Currently membership is free, but in the future a modest contribution may be considered from our interested members.

After approval by their national primary care organisation, any active individual PCDE member can apply for the status of ‘national representative’ within the association.

The task of these national representatives will be to become a link between the association and the different    national initiatives related to primary care diabetes by:

• promoting and developing PCDE projects in their country
• informing PCDE of national developments with regards to primary diabetes care
• disseminating conference programmes and other promotional materials
• providing PCDE with names of potentially interested colleagues, addresses of relevant  national organisations and contacts etc.

These national representatives can be invited by Executive Committee to take up a more active role in the working of the association and form, together with the Executive committee the General Assembly.

Executive Committee and General Assembly

Membership of the General Assembly is open to all professional members of PCDE by candidacy. It will be encouraged that as many countries as possible will be represented in the General Assembly by national representatives.

Membership of the Executive Committee is open to all members of General Assembly after candidacy. The total number of the executive committee is limited to 12. The General Assembly vote for their representation in the Executive Committee

The executive committee is a task oriented working group and has as a minimum a chairman, treasurer and secretary (vice-chairman)

Members of the executive committee serve a term of 4 years, with a maximum of 2 consecutive terms in the same position

The chairman and treasurer cannot step down simultaneously

Within the executive committee a chairman-elect will be elected one year in advance of the change of seat, the chairman-elect will be presented to the General Assembly for voting

Members of the executive committee, wishing to extend their term, are subject to majority approval of the executive committee.

The PCDE Constitutions can be consulted at : http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/tsv/tsvn.htm.