MEDICAL OFFICERS OF SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION
MOSA
MEDICAL OFFICERS OF SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION
FOUNDED 1884
Today MOSA is a professional organisation concerned with providing medical care for mainly but not exclusively, independent schools, boarding or day. In 2015, membership was opened to any healthcare professional currently or previously registered with an appropriate, professionally recognised organisation.
This meant that, for example, school nurses were eligible to join as full members. The number of nurse members has steadily increased and four nurses are now members of MOSA Council. As a result, the Association has gone from strength to strength with the nurses bringing a new breadth of knowledge and skill to the Association’s activities. The membership now is a mix of general practitioners who are medical officers to schools in their practice areas and school nurses, as well as some non-clinicians working in a school setting such as members of the teaching profession who are eligible to join as associate members.
The business of the Association is conducted by the Council of MOSA which meets three times a year and is made up of current and retired school medical officers, and nurses. The day-to-day running of MOSA is the responsibility of the executive secretary together with one of the officers, the executive officer, who is a practicing healthcare professional. The current membership stands at 261.
Who runs MOSA?
Dr Stephen Haynes is the current President - School Medical Officer (SMO) Bloxham School and GP outside Oxford.
Dr Jim Ropner GP and SMO of Cheltenham College - President-elect (Jan 2024)
Mrs Liz Carey is the MOSA Executive Officer. Former Lead Nurse of Charterhouse, also worked at Wellington College and Frensham Heights with short term contracts.
Dr Neil Arnott - MOSA Trustee - Neil was the SMO for Sevenoaks School for 27 years before semi-retiring!
Dr Rebecca Pryse - MOSA Trustee - Becky was the SMO for Stowe School in Buckinghamshire from 2011 until relocating to Kent.
Dr Rene Skule - MOSA Educational Lead - Part of Rene's busy schedule is SMO for three boarding/day schools in Dorset. Bryanston, Canford and Claysmore.
Council members include:
Mrs Bev Gilbert, formerly Lead Nurse Wellington College.
Mrs Alice Lyons, formerly school nurse at St Mary's Shaftesbury and Lead Nurse at Chafyn Grove Prep School in Salisbury.
Mrs Fiona Parry - Lead Nurse at Cheltenham College.
Mr Nate Kelly - Lead Nurse at St Mary’s Calne.
Dr Steve Brown - SMO for Rugby School.
Dr Su Xavier - Public Health Consultant and school governor at Ashdown House Prep School.
Current benefits of joining
Full access to all members’ educational meetings with reduced registration fee. MOSA events and webinars that the nurse team have attended can be recorded as evidence to ISI inspections.
Access to a wide range of clinical and administrative guidelines on subjects relevant to school health for all members of the team.
A private forum for health professionals to seek advice and share good practice around specific school health issues. Peer support for school health teams.
A specialist consultancy service for any school that requires a review of their medical and nursing provision. With a pool of highly experienced school doctors and nurses, MOSA are able to offer support with nursing development reviews, nursing revalidation and assist schools with the employment for school nursing positions.
How to join/costs of joining:
Clinical membership £185 per annum (reviewed annually).
One or two member-testimonials
Recent feedback from delegates on educational days and the clinical forum
● Interesting, informative.
● Clear and concise, interesting PEP programme and ‘power up to play’
● Gave me more confidence with knees, good speaker – good slides
● Great speaker, wide ranging, practical
● Good tips, fantastic update, ‘I learnt a lot’
● Fascinating, food for thought, interesting subject
● Complex but case study complemented it well
● ‘Loved this’
● ‘Wow’ – changed my thinking
● ‘Eye opener… what to do next?’
● Helpful tips – good to have comparable x-rays
● Great way to share ideas, raised my interest in other guidelines
● Good to hear other perspectives, useful to protect us