Because geriatric medicine developed first in the United Kingdom, and is now the largest specialty of general medicine, we are sometimes guilty of not recognising the international dimensions of our specialty.
| Ian Hastie’s overview of international associations concerned with our specialty was published in the March issue of this newsletter with the kind permission of Aging, Clinical and Experimental Research. In the coming years, the BGS will explore ways to develop its role both in Europe and more widely. Brian Williams has just stepped down as President of the European Union Geriatric Medical Society (EUGMS), having made a distinguished contribution to its foundation. Prof Alan Sinclair remains as its Academic Director and has been very successful in developing first class Scientific Meetings, the first being held in Paris and the second in Florence. Ian Hastie is President of the Geriatric Medical Section of UEMS, which is making training in geriatric medicine coherent throughout the European Union. |
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Last year I was fortunate enough to be an invited speaker at the 2nd Congress of the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society, held in Florence in August. Sadly, there were very few British delegates (outnumbered by our Irish colleagues who know a good thing when they see it!) There was an attendance of 600-700 delegates, the largest contingent being from Italy, where there is a thriving geriatric community and which, unlike the UK, has a vigorous academic base, with a growing number of Chairs in geriatric medicine. The standard of presentations at the meeting was uniformly excellent. As befits a gathering of geriatricians, unlike some other specialties we could name, there was a friendly exchange between the different nationalities. I spoke to people from more than fifteen different countries and in the process was surprised at the strength and development of geriatric medicine in many European countries. The meeting attracted a significant contingent of North American geriatricians and, once again, there is a vigorous and effective academic development in the specialty in both Canada and the United States. The next of these meetings is in Vienna on 15-18 September 2004, and I would encourage our members to seriously consider attending. The academic programme is very much clinically linked and I personally found it some of the best CPD that I have had.
The EUGMS is made up of affiliated member country societies and the BGS has a position on the Governing Council. Paul Knight has done a splendid job in his time on the Council and I will be taking over from him this year, when I hope to strengthen links between the BGS and the EUGMS.
Danish
Geriatric Society
Shortly following the Florence meeting, I had the privilege of being invited
to speak to the Danish Geriatric Society in Copenhagen in September 2003.
This was on the very kind invitation of Suzanne van de Mark who I had
met with several of her colleagues, when I had a presentation at the Royal
College of Physicians in Edinburgh. An invitation made over the dinner
table was kindly supported by Orion Pharma, whose sponsorship made it
possible for me to visit Copenhagen. I had the privilege of spending a
morning with Prof Marianne Schroll, Professor of geriatric medicine at
Bisbebjerg Hospital. Bisbebjerg Hospital is one of four or five major
hospitals in Denmark and serves a population of about half a million people.
The Danish Health Service is very similar to the British Health Service
in its funding and regulations. Prof Schroll’s unit has 54 beds
and a fully developed polyclinic, with specialist clinics for falls, memory
and incontinence. The unit is very active in research, with particular
emphasis on studies into nutrition, exercise and preventative care. It
has 15 senior doctors, 5 academics, 9 specialists and 1 research fellow.
The hospital was a delightful one with open spaces and deploying an imaginative
use of art. Some of Prof Schroll’s paintings were displayed on the
walls of the unit and were of a very high standard. Multidisciplinary
working is highly developed and a great enthusiasm for geriatric medicine
was evident in all those I spoke to. The meeting of the Danish Geriatric
Society took place at the Herlev Hospital. This is a modern hospital with
one of the nicest and best equipped lecture theatres I have ever had the
privilege of speaking in. Somewhat of an echo of our own health system,
not all of the hospital is in use because of financial constraints.
Parkinson’s
Disease
I shared the platform at the meeting with a Danish neurologist, and it
was evident from the lively questions and interest, that Danish geriatricians,
like us, have a substantial interest in Parkinson’s disease and
its management. I was most grateful to Suzanne van de Mark and her colleagues
for their hospitality. I hope we will be able to develop links with Danish
geriatrics and there are opportunities for exchanges between trainees
for variable periods,. I am sure that being exposed to an enthusiastic
and well developed geriatric service would be of tremendous benefit and
facilitate the international exchange of ideas.
Dr
Jeremy Playfer
President Elect