On behalf of the President of the BGS and the 2013 Spring Meeting Organising Committee, Dr Rosemary Kelly, extends a warm welcome to the BGS Spring Meeting in Belfast which is taking place from 17 – 19 April 2013.
A combination of local, national and international experts will deliver an interesting and varied scientific programme. The Northern Ireland Minister for Health will be in attendance and Thursday’s guest lecture will be delivered by Robert Francis QC, author of the newly released Francis report.
We begin the conference on Wednesday afternoon, highlighting exciting developments within the expanding areas of nursing home medicine, psychiatry liaison and orthogeriatric medicine. There will also be a thought-provoking analysis of medicolegal aspects of geriatric medical practice as well as a timely update on appraisal and revalidation.
Thursday morning’s programme includes sessions on stroke, with a not-to-be-missed summary covering the prevention and management of the thrombo-embolic complications of atrial fibrillation, followed by a presentation on the hot topic of imaging and radiological intervention in the acute stroke setting. An important session on pain management will be followed by a review of driving matters in the elderly, and then a lively guide to making the most of our later years, including an acknowledgement of the important societal value of older people.
The three Thursday parallel sessions, cognition, telehealth (including a talk on how smartphones can get us in and out of trouble!) and health services research provide a choice of presentations. Talks on the state of, and expectations within, medical student education and a session on renal medicine in the elderly then follow. The Dementia and Similar Disorders special interest group have organised a useful session on “Dementia in the General Hospital”.
Friday provides presentations on the very latest updates in blood dyscrasia, dietary strategies and chronic disease prevention, and a session from the recently formed Perioperative care of Older People undergoing Surgery (POPS) special interest group. Three parallel sessions (showcasing acclaimed Irish research activity as well as an overview of a key differential of diarrhoea in older patients) are followed by the Majory Warren lecture which will be delivered by Professor Peter Langhorne. The scientific programme concludes with a focus on the critically ill older person – including a session on how to get your older patient in and out of intensive care. There will then be an interactive opportunity to contribute feedback to develop future BGS meetings.
Stay on for the weekend and enjoy Belfast’s hospitality and sense of fun. There are exclusive conference offers available for discounts on tours and attractions, restaurants and bars. There are also tickets available for a dinner on Wednesday at the iconic Titanic Belfast, which showcases the city’s heritage, as well as the official conference dinner on Thursday evening at the City Hall which will be followed a Ceilidh.
Register now and I hope to see many of you in Belfast in April 2013.
British Geriatrics Society 