The Secretary of State for Health delivered the keynote lecture at the RCSEd’s Lister Centenary Celebration. Mr Andrew Lansley CBE MP addressed the conference in Edinburgh on 10 February, where 370 delegates attended the flagship event.

Speaking at the event, Mr Lansley said: “Lord Lister was a fine example of clinical leadership and embodied the principles of innovation in healthcare… Real innovation comes not from politicians, but from the operating theatre, consulting rooms and the hospital ward.” Moving on to NHS services, he said, “seven-day services produce better results for patients and for trusts… We will support clinicians to move towards better outcomes for patients.”

Other highlights included talks from Professor Sir Graham Teasdale and Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, as well as six symposia, College lectures, a museum exhibition and historical walking tours of the city.

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) has given its official endorsement to the College’s award-winning ESSQ (MSc in Surgical Sciences) as a pre-MRCS training course. The accreditation could lead to an increase in Australasian students applying to the course, which won best online or distance learning programme at the 2010 eLearning Awards.

Programme Director, Professor O James Garden said: “This is an important landmark in the short life of the MSc in Surgical Sciences and in the development of the new ChM programmes in General Surgery, Urology and Trauma and Orthopaedics.

“The RACS promotes high quality, efficient surgical education and training, and therefore its approval of the ESSQ programmes serves to emphasise both their quality and general applicability in supporting trainees during crucial development phases of their surgical training.

“Our programmes are very much targeted at UK trainees to assist in meeting their professional goals and in supporting their academic development. Now, international surgical trainees can be reassured that their participation in our programmes also meets their needs without necessarily taking time out for a period of full-time research training.”

The MSc has 220 students from over 30 countries currently enrolled, with 70 Masters Graduates to date.

www.essq.rcsed.ac.uk

The Royal Colleges of Scotland hosted a seminar with the Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee in December. Discussions included policy on the pricing of alcohol, the future of surgical training and current pressures on medical training. Pictured L-R: Richard Lyle MSP, Mr David Tolley President of RCSEd, Richard Simpson MSP, Duncan McNeil MSP, Jackson Carlaw MSP, and Mr Mike Lavelle-Jones Honorary Secretary of RCSEd.

Surgeons’ News is asking readers to give their views on our award-winning magazine via an online survey. The magazine, which is marking 10 years as RCSEd’s membership title, prides itself on close engagement with its readers through a broad range of news and features. To ensure we continue to serve the interests of our readership, we’re running a short survey which can be completed at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/snsurvey2012

The College’s magazine Surgeons’ News was named Scottish Membership Magazine of the Year at a ceremony in November. Editor Mr John Duncan picked up the award at the Scottish Magazine Awards at Edinburgh’s Prestonfield House, where the title was shortlisted against seven of Scotland’s best membership titles.

Speaking about the award, Mr Duncan said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Surgeons’ News, especially for Mark Baillie and the team who work hard to make it an engaging and enjoyable magazine. In particular, I would like to thank Mark and our many contributors, who submit articles on a wide range of topics and without whom this award wouldn’t have been possible.”

Tsewang Yishey Pemba, the first Tibetan to become a Fellow of the RCSEd, has died aged 79. He gained his fellowship in 1967 and also won the Hallett Prize for coming first in the Primary Fellowship Examination. He founded the first hospital in Bhutan and served as consultant physician to the Royal Family in that Himalayan kingdom. At the National Referral Hospital in Bhutan, he was appointed a United Nations certifying doctor and, in 1989, was a member of Bhutan’s delegation to the WHO in Geneva.