British Geriatrics Society Scientific meeting: Day 1

This week sees the 2013 BGS Autumn Scientific Meeting take place in Harrogate. This international, multi-disciplinary conference is for professionals concerned with the the health and care of older people. We will be presenting a packed scientific programme, with updates on a variety of clinical topics covering several special interests.

This year the meeting is preceded by a conference on Managing Complexity in Older People within the Community organised by the Community Geriatrics Special Interest Group. This conference will address how healthcare professionals, working together, can best aim to reduce admissions/re-admissions into hospital by ensuring that older patients receive adequate and appropriate preventative and interventionist care within the community. Presentations included:

• Anticipatory Care Planning in Care Homes –  by Rebecca Bancroft
• Care Home Commissioning Day – by Elizabeth Kendrick
• Commissioning for Outcomes: A Care Home Perspective – by Martin Green
• End of Life Care in Nursing Homes in North Tyneside – by Kathyryn Hall
• The Gold Standards Framework in Care Homes Programme – Keri Thomas

The main conference opens with 3 parallel sessions(14.00-15.30):

• Session A: Adult Protection with a presentation from Ms Sandie Keene (Association of Directors of Adult Social Services) on safeguarding the burgeoning integration agenda within our hospital and community services. We then hear from Dr David Hunt (Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust) on the role of the Medical Practitioner. The session closes with Ms Mary Cox (Age UK) representing the patient perspective.
• SessionB: Therapeutics looks at implementing e-prescribing in a hospital setting, from Dr Richard O’Brien (City Hospitals, Sunderland), followed by Dr Julia Blagburn (Newcastle) presenting on drug compliance. The session ends with Dr Simon Hill (Newcastle) looking at drug interactions.
• Session C: Sleep Disorders begins with a presentation on sleep physiology from Prof Mary Morrell (Imperial College), followed by Dr Renata Riha (Edinburgh Sleep Medicine Centre) on the OSAS/PREDICT study. We will also hear from  from Dr Paul Reading (South Tees NHS Trust) on sleep neurology

After a tea and coffee break, the following sessions are available for the afternoon (16.00-17.00):

• Session D: Care Closer to Home for Older People. We will hear from Dr Ian Greaves (West Midlands Strategic Health Authority) on innovative service models for older people. Prof Ian Philp (South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust) on the integrated care model for older people in South Warwickshire.
• Session E: Medical Imaging begins with a presentation on diagnostic ultrasound in joint disease from Professor David Kane (Adelaide and Meath Hospital Dublin NHS Trust) followed by a presentation from Dr Alp Notghi (Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals) on nuclear imaging in neurodegenerative disorders.
• Session F: Research Update will include a talk from Prof Marion McMurdo (University of Dundee) on NHS Clinicians and research: The final frontier. It will also hear from Prof Avan Aihie Sayer (University of Southampton) with her talk: Academic Geriatric Medicine: What is it and who is it for? And finally from Dr Mark Baxter (University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust) on: Academic Geriatric Medicine: views from the NHS coalface.

You can access the presentations on the BGS website here.

See also the details of BGS conference Day 2 and Day 3.