Hello everyone,
Subscription renewal time is on the near horizon and so, I’m writing, among other things, to let you know the new subscription rates. As you know, following a period where subscription rates didn’t change, we reverted last year to the system where they reflect the Retail Price Index (RPI) as published in January each year. This year, the RPI was 13.4% and after some debate, Council agreed to raise the subscriptions by a corresponding amount which means the IMI annual subscription rates from April 1st this year will increase as follows:
Professional/Affiliate from £113.40 (£9.45 per month) to £126 (10.50 per month).
Student/Retired from £75.60 (£6.30 per month) to £84.00 (£7.00 per month).
Corporate from £283.50 (£26.32 per month) to £321.00 (£26.75 per month). Includes 1 trade stand with 1 trade delegate at our annual conference.
Council recognised it will be difficult for everyone to see this subscription increase along with all the other increases in costs across the board we’re all facing at the moment, but equally had to acknowledge the Institute is also facing increases in general costs;
It won’t make it cheaper but let’s look at some of the benefits of membership:
Reduced rates for members for the annual conference
On-line learning sessions
Regional meetings
Summer School (yes, there’s one in the pipeline – see below)
Entry to the IMI Awards and recognition of excellence
Representation with the Academy of Healthcare Science and the Professional Bodies Council
Representation with the Department of Health
Liaison with education providers, supporting professional qualifications
Free professional legal advice
Reduced rates for members for Quality Assurance Standards assessment
The Journal of Visual Communication in Medicine
IMI News
Resources on the IMI website
National Guidelines
Code of Professional Practice
Access to the Pat Turnbull Travel fund
Access to a network of professional members via social media discussion forums and members’ directory.
Mentoring scheme
When you look at that list, I think it shows that membership is still good value for money. It’s also worth bearing in mind that ALL of the above is provided and managed by members on a voluntary basis with the vast majority of that work undertaken in their own time.
OK, two finals things on subscriptions for now:
Please can I remind those of you whose subscriptions are paid through your departments to raise an order for the 2023-24 subscription as soon as you can, because sometimes it can be a lengthy process and it’s important your subscriptions are renewed in a timely fashion. It’ll ensure you still have access to all the benefits listed above and make our Membership Secretary’s job considerably easier.
Please don’t forget to renew your registration with the Academy of Healthcare Science (AHCS) when the time comes around. If you have not registered already please do so. Registration reassures patients that you are an accredited professional who follows our Code of Professional Conduct and meets the requirements of the AHCS including continuing professional development. This, in turn, helps ensures their safety and shows you are working to strict guidelines and are up to date with your training. Many Trusts and Health Boards now insist on registration as a condition of employment.
Thank you.
Here’s another terrific benefit of membership. The Post Mortem Live show is holding events right across the country and is a great learning opportunity to view and participate in a post mortem with a story behind it. The Institute is offering paid-up members a subsidy of £20.00 towards the cost of a ticket for the first 50 members to submit their booking receipts. You’ll need to make your booking on the postmortemlive website and then submit a receipt via the Institute expenses page. https://www.imi.org.uk/account/expenses/.
The shows are running already so you’ll need to be quick!!!!
The Code of Professional conduct is central to how we work, laying out the tenets of our professionalism and it has just been revised and updated. Please take some time to read it here and you’ll find it aligns closely with the standards for Medical Illustrators of the Academy of Healthcare Science. Poster versions of the Code will be available on the website soon in a format appropriate for downloading for display in departments. This Code of Professional Conduct is key to our professionalism, and I believe we should be proud to display it to patients and other staff.
It’s been a while since the last IMI Summer School, so I’m really pleased to announce that plans are underway to hold one this year. It will run over three days in Birmingham during June and will be ideal for students or those wanting to update or add to their skills. Previous summer schools have been well received and thoroughly enjoyed by the participants. Keep an eye out on the website and social media for further details.
Whilst you’re on alert for that, watch out for information on this year’s annual conference which will take place in Cardiff. Early Bird booking will be available very soon. While we’re on the subject why not give some thought to contributing to the scientific programme by presenting a paper or workshop? The call for these is also imminent and will appear on social media and on the website here.
Your Institute Council met virtually on February 3rd and is scheduled to meet face to face at the end of March. The minutes of all Council meetings are published on the website but have you ever wondered what it is like to be at a Council meeting? Maybe not, but in a bid to encourage members to become more involved with the Institute it was suggested at the last Council meeting that we invite members to join a Council meeting to observe the proceedings. This could benefit the Institute by giving members a better understanding of the mechanisms of IMI and sparking an interest in volunteering for a role in a specific area. As an individual it can benefit you by adding the experience as part of your CPD. It offers the opportunity to add experience of a formal meeting to your CV and help prepare you for a role in the Institute. The next virtual meetings are scheduled for May 19th and October 20th. If you are interested in observing please contact Carol Fleming, Honorary Secretary secretary@imi.org.uk
That’s plenty to be going on with for now. There’s a lot going on so please watch out for posts on social media and on the website to ensure you don’t miss out.