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It is a great pleasure to be able to hold the 2010 Spring Scientific Meeting in Edinburgh during the 50th anniversary year of the Scottish BGS.

To mark this anniversary we have a very special programme being hosted in a very special city.

Edinburgh is a major international centre for Stroke research, and Friday afternoon will see a joint BGS-British Association of Stroke Physicians session with distinguished speakers delivering a series of keynote lectures covering the wide spectrum of Stroke Medicine. Over recent years a significant proportion of BGS members have specialised in Stroke medicine and the session will provide an opportunity to learn about what is happening at the cutting edge.

Of course, not all geriatricians are involved with Stroke, so, in parallel on Friday, we will be holding a varied programme that includes a Continence Masterclass and a session on Geriatric medicine in Less Economically Developed Countries.

Geriatric Giants
Apart from continence, other “Geriatric Giants” will not be neglected. The central CPD session on Falls and Balance disorders focuses on community dwelling fallers, those with visual impairment and specific interventions for fallers with cognitive impairment. In fact, there are far too many top quality events in this scientific smorgasbord to detail here, but you will be able to take your pick from service models of community heart failure care, hospital liaison, long term conditions management, new developments in physiotherapy, occupational therapy and medical rehabilitation, sessions from the Medical Ethics SIG, the Diabetes SIG and the Drugs & Prescribing Section along with “Meet the Professors” talking in parallel on exercise, dementia and primary care. Almost unbelievably, there is also room in the programme for over 20 platform scientific presentations as well as a session highlighting the research that the BGS, and hence yourselves, have directly supported.

And just in case that wasn’t enough, there is a session on how to get your paper published from our very own Age & Ageing editorial team – lots of helpful tips, no doubt – and two distinguished lectures. The Marjory Warren lecture is being given by Prof David Stott from Glasgow, a champion of clinical research in older people especially in vascular disease and cognitive impairment. The external speaker is Professor Sir Neil Douglas, Professor of Sleep Medicine in Edinburgh and current Chair of the joint Royal Colleges who will be enlightening us on the subject of sleep in older people.

Open doors
Indeed, Edinburgh is a city of the Enlightenment, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and City of Literature, and the last morning of the meeting sees us opening our doors to the public for a process of mutual enlightenment. We will be working together to identify priorities and actions in the areas of Health Services, Carer and Carers, Ethical issues, and Research: hopefully this event will help shape BGS thinking in these areas over the coming years.

Muddling along at a ceilidh
If you are not left breathless by the sheer exhilaration of the programme or by the incomparable experience that is Edinburgh, you will certainly be mildly dyspnoeic after a turn at the Dashing White Sergeant at the ceilidh that follows the Meeting Dinner. A Scottish ceildih is something not to be missed, even the clumsiest of dancers can have a great time: indeed getting a little muddled here and there just adds to the fun – nobody takes it seriously! We will be holding the ceilidh and dinner in the grand surroundings of the Signet Library, at the heart of the Royal mile. I can promise you that it will be a night to remember, so be sure to book your tickets because places will be limited.

But there is no limit to the number of people who can attend the meeting itself. It is being held in the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, a state-of-the-art venue, and a very short walk from the various hotels that have been booked for the accommodation. So open your 2010 diaries while they are still relatively unfilled and cross off the 22-24 April. Set aside this time to be enlightened, have fun and meet up with old friends, for whether you are traveling from far or near, Edinburgh awaits you.

John Starr
Chair of the local organising committee

BGS Newsletter, November 2009
Issue 24 ISSN 1748-634000 24