APPM Constitution 

To promote the best possible palliative care for children, young people and their families, regardless of care setting, through professional support for doctors providing paediatric palliative care 

To promote the practice of paediatric palliative medicine 

To promote the community of paediatric palliative care through education, networking and communication 

To promote the development of standards of good practice in the field of paediatric palliative medicine 

To support professionals and trainees working with life limited children and their families 

To promote equity of access to appropriate and effective paediatric palliative care services 

To champion and promote paediatric palliative care research, providing direction and facilitation for research as appropriate 

To promote co-operation and collaboration with other professionals, statutory and voluntary organizations involved in the care of children and young people with life limiting conditions and their families 

To support the education, training and practice of paediatric palliative medicine including through the work of the Royal Colleges of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Royal College of General Practice and other relevant institutions. 

To maintain formal links and effective communication between relevant medical colleges and other national and international bodies 

Membership will be open to any medical practitioners (clinicians and researchers) including trainees and medical students who are interested in, or work, with children and young people with life limiting conditions and their families 

Associate membership will be open to any health professionals or researcher with a specific interest in paediatric palliative care. Associate members may be invited to sit on the executive in order to provide expert representation, advice and guidance. However they are not eligible to vote or to become officers. 

The executive committee will consist of the officers of Association for Paediatric Palliative Medicine plus other members with identified duties or roles. 

Members of the executive will be elected from the membership through a submission of expression of interest form after a call via the APPM newsletter or email. Voting will either take place at the Annual General Meeting or by an online vote. Information from the candidate’s expression of interest form will be shared with the membership. 

Members of the executive will serve for a period of three years in the first instance, which will run concurrently. The period of office will commence at the annual general meeting. 

Following completion of their initial term of office, members of the executive committee may choose to stand for a maximum of 2 further terms. 

Executive committee are expected to attend 75% of the executive meeting (face to face and telephone contact) per year. If the executive member is unable fulfil their commitment to the executive with a minimal 50% attendance they will be asked to step down from the executive. This will enable other APPM members the opportunity to support the association at executive level. 

All executive members will have identified executive roles. These are usually held for three years and then rotated by agreement within the executive. 

Travel and sustenance (lunch/dinner) expenses for face to face meetings will be paid by the APPM. 

Executive benefits include very early bird fees at any educational/research day and opportunity to be session chairs. Only presenters (not including session chairs) will not pay the attendance fee. 

Composition of executive committee will ideally include a minimum of: 

general practitioner 

hospice doctor (general practitioner or paediatrician) 

paediatrician with an interest in paediatric palliative care 

specialist paediatric palliative care consultant 

paediatric trainee 

Others members may be from the groups identified and other physicians with an interest in paediatric palliative care such as adult palliative care consultants or common allied speciality eg neonatal medicine. 

The members should also seek to encompass the representation from across the United Kingdom. 

Co-opted members: Together for Short Lives representative and the chair of the RCPCH Paediatric Palliative Care CSAC or their nominated deputy. The executive committee will have the power to co-opt other members as required 

The officers of the Association for Paediatric Palliative Medicine will be a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer 

The officers will be elected from the executive for a period of three years which should run concurrently and can be choose to continue for a further term. The period of office will commence at the annual general meeting. 

The officers will be elected from the executive by agreement. 

The executive committee holds one face to face and three virtual meetings per year. 

There will be at least one scientific and/or educational meetings each year, one of which will be held in association with the annual general meeting 

There will be an annual general meeting for which not less than 28 days notice will be given 

The quorum for voting at an annual general meeting will be a minimum of 15 members with the number of ordinary members exceeding the number of committee members 

An extraordinary general meeting may be convened by the executive committee if 20 members apply in writing to the chair. Not less than 28 days notice will be given 

At all meetings of the Association for Paediatric Palliative Medicine, including executive meetings, each member will have one vote except for the chair who will not normally vote. In the case of an equal division of votes the chair will have the casting vote. 

Finance of the Association for Paediatric Palliative Medicine will be maintained by the treasurer. The treasurer will have authority to disburse funds for the benefit of the group and will submit the accounts at the annual general meeting 

Signatories will be the treasurer and one other members of the executive 

An annual subscription will be levied on all members. The level of this will be determined at the annual general meeting and will form the basic source of income for the group. 

Changes to the subscription rate will be agreed by the executive committee. No less than 28 days notice will be given of any such changes 

Preferred payment method for subscriptions will be by bank transfer 

Amendments to the constitution will be made at the annual general meeting or by online voting of all members 

Where amendments are proposed at the annual general meeting the amendments must be submitted to the secretary and circulated at least 28 days before the meeting. 

Amendments will require two thirds majority vote at the annual general meeting and/or postal ballot 

In the event of winding up of the Association for Paediatric Palliative Medicine any outstanding funds will be transferred to allied charities or professional associations at the discretion of the executive committee