Email your comments

It is a great pleasure to invite BGS members to Glasgow for the 2008 Spring meeting on 23 - 25 April. The conference venue is the fabulously futuristic Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC), conveniently placed in the centre of the city overlooking the River Clyde.

The Local Organising Committee has put together a high quality state-of-the-art educational programme. It starts on the Wednesday afternoon with a Symposium on Evidence-based Rehabilitation. Our speakers include Prof Miriam Nelson from Boston, USA, who will talk on aerobic exercise for older people. There are also talks from UK experts on the epidemiology of disability, strength and balance training, and occupational therapy.

The keynote speakers on the Thursday and Friday of the Conference are Lord Stewart Sutherland and Prof Stuart Cobbe. Lord Sutherland will give an address on free personal care. Everyone will be aware of his Royal Commission Report from March 1999. We are particularly looking forward to hearing his perspective on organisation and funding of care for frail, older people.

Prof Stuart Cobbe, Professor of Medical Cardiology at the University of Glasgow, will cover the difficult subject of cardiac arrhythmias in older people. He is ideally placed to advise on this, having led the SIGN group on cardiac arrhythmias in coronary heart disease.

Other invited talks at the meeting include:

• respiratory disease in old age,
• the practical management of cerebrovascular disease and stroke,
• consumer issues including dignity and respect,
• research methods in Geriatric Medicine,
• heart failure in older people.
• renal disease.

I am delighted that so many high-quality presenters from the UK and abroad have agreed to take part in our programme and hope that you will be able to join us in Glasgow.

David J Stott
Chair of the Organising Committee

BGS Newsletter, December 2007
Issue 14 ISSN 1748-6343 14