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The BGS is holding its 2008 Autumn Scientific Meeting between Wednesday, 12th and Friday, 15th November, at the International Convention Centre (ICC), situated in the heart of Birmingham.

We held a very successful meeting in Birmingham in 2005 and this year we decided to return to the city because of the excellent conference centre and the good transport links both nationally and internationally.

The programme combines a wide variety of essential clinical updates and symposia as well as original research. This year’s highlights include two outstanding speakers giving the Society’s invitation lectures. The Marjory Warren lecture will be given by Professor Steve Iliffe from London and the Trevor Howell lecture will be given by Professor Chris Phillipson from Newcastle upon Lyme.

The meeting starts with a half day symposium on ‘Challenging issues in intermediate care’. This’ symposium will concentrate on topical subjects such as the day hospital, secondary prevention of falls and fractures and older adults with learning disabilities. The second part of the symposium deals with the issue of resources to improve patient outcomes. Leading national and international speakers will speak .

The main meeting opens with a session of “meet the professors”. Last year in Harrogate, a similar session proved very successful with the delegates and we are repeating it. The three speakers are Steve Allen, Roger Francis and Avan Aihie Sayer who are well know to many. They will speak about their research and the implications this has on day to day practice. As well as the platform presentations of original research we have a number of clinical updates delivered from speakers, experts in their field from across the whole spectrum of Geriatric Medicine. The topics cover elder abuse, palliative care, falls, education including the Knowledge Based Assessments (KBA), and stroke. The meeting concludes with a symposium on syncope.

There is also an extensive programme from three special interest groups in cerebral ageing and mental health, respiratory and drugs and prescribing that I am sure will be very interesting. We will also be holding the Annual General Meeting and all members are strongly encouraged to attend.

The conference dinner will again be held at the impressive Victorian Council House located within five minutes of the ICC. The after dinner entertainment will be provided by the Roy Forbes Jazz Quartet I hope that as well as attending the conference you will have the opportunity to catch up with old colleagues and friends and meet new ones as well as enjoy the city of Birmingham.

Birmingham has the art
As for extracurricular activities, Birmingham is no slouch. The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery houses the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelites in the world, as well as collections of silver, sculpture, ceramics and ancient and social history. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts has an outstanding collection of Old Masters alongside modern classics, including Bellini, Rubens, Gainsborough, Monet and Degas.

Forty days to Christmas
And with only 40 days to Christmas, Birmingham is a shopper’s paradise. With the world renowned Bullring and the jewellry quarter (40 per cent of UK jewellry is made there), take the stress out of a rushed Christmas shopping expedition by coming to Birmingham this November.

I look forward to welcoming you.

Michael Vassallo
Meetings Secretary

BGS Newsletter, Oct 2008
Issue 18 ISSN 1748-6343 18