Speakers shared their insights on how persuasion has shaped the development of health law and policy, and the impact this has had on professional ethics and regulation, which led to a stimulating discussion.

The first paper, by Dr Catherine Kelly, explored three British historical case studies concerning doctors and persuasion. Dr Michael Brown’s paper drew from his Wellcome Trust project on surgery and emotion, and the final paper, by Professor John Coggon, examined contemporary public health and ‘politicking’.

The symposium was followed by a keynote lecture from Dr. Clare Gerada, who shared her experiences of lobbying as former Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). Dr. Gerada is currently Medical Director for the Practitioner Health Programme, a service which provides support for sick doctors and dentists.

Commenting on the talk, Professor Judy Laing said:

"The lecture was a deeply personal and fascinating account of Dr Clare Gerada's leadership journey at the helm of the RCGP during a turbulent time of major NHS reform; the audience was honoured that Dr. Gerada delivered such a frank and honest account of her experiences."

The event was sponsored by the University of Bristol Law School. Some of the papers from the symposium will form part of a special issue of the Journal History, co-edited by Dr. Catherine Kelly, Reader in Law at the CHLS and Dr. Joan Tumblety, Associate Professor of History at the University of Southampton.