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On behalf of the local organising committee, I invite you to come to Bournemouth between 1 - 3 April for the British Geriatrics Society 2009 Spring Meeting.

Bournemouth is on the south coast of Britain, flanked by the historic towns of Christchurch and Poole - the second largest natural harbour in the world after Sydney, Australia. It is the largest town on the English south coast between Southampton and Plymouth and is a regional centre of education and business as well as a popular tourist destination. It can also claim to be the happiest place in Britain. In 2007 a survey by a leading bank found that 82% of people questioned said they were happy with their life Access is excellent, with regular trains from Waterloo station London, as well as excellent road connections and two regional airports in Bournemouth itself and Southampton.

The conference will be held at the Bournemouth International Centre. It has recently undergone a major refurbishment and is one of the largest venues on the south coast. The meeting will broadly follow a similar format to ones that have proved so successful at recent meetings, with some innovations. Wednesday afternoon will see a symposium held by the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) European Region Clinical Section on dementia. The rest of the programme will include a meet the professors session and clinical updates on cardiology, gastroenterology, orthogeriatrics and the older surgical patient. There is also an extensive programme from two special interest groups in cardiology and medical ethics as well as a debate with the motion “complementary medicine should be used more widely in the NHS”. Apart from the usual scientific presentations we are holding a session on BGS Research Fellowships. Another innovation we are introducing at this meeting is workshops. We have chosen topics that will be of interest to many, including mental capacity and developing community based rehabilitation. Delegates will have the opportunity to hear two guest lectures. The first keynote lecture on the ageing process will be presented by Professor Allan McLean, from the National Ageing Research Institute, Australia. The second will be on maintaining quality in the NHS will be presented by Baroness Young of Old Scone from the Care Quality Commission, London. The meeting will conclude with a symposium on Managing diabetes in the elderly patient.

The Society dinner will be at the Royal Bath Hotel. We are often told that the profession needs to use air traffic control as a model to manage risk. David Gunson, our after dinner speaker, will talk to us in his inimitable way about the subject. He was awarded the American Express speaker of the year award. He was an Air Traffic Controller at Birmingham Airport for 23 years and before that, he served in the Royal Air Force on Shackleton Aircraft in Coastal Command. He is one of the most in demand after dinner speakers in the country and his "What Goes Up MIGHT Come Down" approach to flying should reassure all those frequent flyers amongst us...or maybe not!

As the local organising committee we look forward to seeing you all in Bournemouth for what promises to be a highly stimulating meeting. However, we also hope that you would find the time to explore Bournemouth and its picturesque surroundings.

Michael Vassallo
Chairman - Local Organising Committee

BGS Newsletter, Dec 2008
Issue 19 ISSN 1748-6343 19