Elections and Appointments
There is a wide range of opportunities for members to serve the BSG and the GI and Liver communities through our Executive and Higher Committees, Sections and Clinical Research Groups. The BSG is committed to welcoming applications from all our members irrespective of gender, orientation, ethnic background or training, for all governance and leadership roles within the Society.
There is a wide range of opportunities for members to serve the BSG and the GI and Liver communities through our Executive and Higher Committees, Sections and Clinical Research Groups. The BSG is committed to welcoming applications from all our members irrespective of gender, orientation, ethnic background or training, for all governance and leadership roles within the Society. Voting in our elections usually takes place in Spring.
This letter can be given to your employer regarding the appropriate release of medical colleagues for the purposes for carrying out work for the wider health system which will help you when applying for roles within the BSG.
There will be a number of elections for BSG Sections, Higher Committees representative roles and Clinical Research Groups taking place in the Spring each year. BSG members wishing to stand for election must be active members of the relevant section before the election starts in order to be eligible. You can check your section interests are correct via your BSG profile.
BSG Roles
| Role | Purpose | Appointment / Election | Term | Who can apply or vote? | More information |
| President-Elect | Successor to the BSG President, providing strategic leadership across the Society before serving as President. | Elected by BSG members. | 2 years as President-Elect followed by 2 years as President (4 years total) reporting to the Trustees and Council. | Eligible members can stand and vote. | Introducing voting for president elect |
| Officers and Other Appointments | Strategic leadership roles including Higher Committees, Executive Committee, and other key positions. | Competitive panel interview. Usually advertised in Spring and appointed in June. | Varies by role, usually 2 - 4 years. | Eligible members. | Current officer vacancies |
| Trustee Appointments | Provide governance and oversight of the Society, ensuring decisions are in the best interests of BSG and the public. | Competitive appointment process. | Varies. | Eligible members. | Board of Trustees. |
| Elected Council | Represent the interests of BSG members on Council, committees and external organisations. Includes Trainee and Nurse Councillor roles. | Election. | 3 years. | All members (excluding Foundation and IMT Stage 1 Doctor members and Undergraduate members). | Elected Council Member - Job Description and Responsibilities. Elected Trainee Councillor - Job Description. Elected Nurse Councillor - Job Description. |
| Section Committees | Support the academic, professional and strategic development of each specialty area; Section Committee. | Election. | 3 years. | Members (excluding Foundation and IMT Stage 1 Doctor members and Undergraduate members) who have selected the relevant Professional Interest(s). You can check your “Professional Interests” here: My BSG Profile. | Section Committees - roles and responsibilities. |
| Trainees Section Committee | The Trainee Section Committee represents gastroenterology trainees across the UK through elected regional representatives. | Elections held annually for vacant posts. | 2 years. | Gastroenterology Trainees within the region can apply; all trainee members can vote. | Trainees Regional Representative - duties and responsibilities. |
| IMT & Foundation Year (FY) Representatives | Represent doctors considering a career in gastroenterology and hepatology. | Elected by members of the Trainees Section Committee. | 2 years. | Foundation and IMT Stage 1 Doctor members can apply; Trainees Section Committee members can vote. | IMT Representative. Foundation Year Representative. |
| Clinical Research Groups (CRGs) | Clinical Research Groups (CRGs) promote high-quality UK gastroenterology and hepatology research across key specialty areas. | Election/appointment as advertised. | 3 years. | Eligible members. | CRG members - roles and responsibilities. |
| Clinical Services Regional Representatives | Represent one of 11 English regions on the Clinical Services (CS) Committee and act as the Regional Specialty Adviser with the RCP. | Election. | 3 years. | Eligible members within the region. | Regional Representative - job description. Regional Representatives - roles and duties. |
| International Zonal Leads | Lead BSG International activity within one of five global regions and develop international partnerships. The zones are:
| Election. | 3 years. | Eligible members. | International Zonal Leads - roles and responsibilities. |
BSG Elections and Officer Recruitment Governance
Elections
Elections and interviews for roles with BSG take place in the Spring of each year. The BSG uses a company called Civica Election Services to administrate elections. Members will be sent communications about upcoming elections when available. Please also check the BSG Election Policy for more information. Current vacancies can be seen here.
Officer Recruitment
The BSG conducts interviews for senior roles using a panel of representatives. For senior officer posts such as Treasurer, Higher Committee Chairs and VP of Endoscopy/Hepatology, this panel comprises 6 people, including a lay trustee, an elected council member, a senior member of the BSG office team, the current deputy post holder (if applicable), and 2 further members of the executive committee. For ‘Lead’ roles such as Guidelines, Mentoring, Sustainability Leads, the panel comprises 4 people including a senior member of the BSG office team, and 3 further members of the executive committee.
Each panel member must declare they have no conflict of interest before being accepted to the panel. The interview is assessed by a scoring process which assesses competency of the candidate against a number of areas. Scores from each panel member are submitted independently for aggregation by the BSG office. These aggregated scores are then reviewed by the panel to inform the final decision on appointment.
If you would like to know more about our processes, please contact Lucy Cope, BSG Head of Committee Services.