BRITISH SOCIETY OF

PAEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY AND NUTRITION

NEWSLETTER 1998

October 1998

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Martin Brueton
London

Ian Booth completed his Presidential term of office in April and our thanks are due to him for leading the Society into a period which will be seen as our "Coming of Age". The Society’s role is rapidly moving beyond its scientific raison d’être. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is looking to us to develop and implement the criteria for the assessment of training programmes and trainees, and through the College Specialist Advisory Committees we have taken the lead with respect to the other speciality societies. Implicit in these activities, and spurred on by the emerging imperatives encompassed within Clinical Governance, we can be in a position to advise on the recognition of tertiary centres, the definition of tertiary specialists and paediatricians with an interest, workforce predictions and the development of education and teaching packages for trainees and for Continuing Medical Education. These are exciting challenges which many members of the Society must participate in.

We also have an opportunity to refocus our commitment to research. Over the last 15 years as many of us have led the development of high quality services for the children in our regions, securing the funding for research projects has become an increasingly skilled and time consuming exercise. Senior NHS staffing levels will now inevitably improve, and the medical school departments will be more rigorously and competitively organised, thus the stage is set for a resurgence in collaborative research, and the identification of National, Clinical and Research Training Fellowships. We also have the additional responsibility of further developing the Society’s role in nutrition as we welcome our colleagues from the BPNMG.

SECRETARY’S REPORT 1997/8

Peter Sullivan
Oxford

During the last year the Society has continued to thrive with a total membership now amounting to 198 of which over two thirds are full members. We now have 53 associate members, the increase in numbers coming largely from an amalgamation at associate membership level with the British Paediatric Nutrition and Metabolism Group. It is hoped that this amalgamation marks the start of much closer links with the BPNMG membership, as discussed at the AGM. There is an update on developments later in this newsletter.

 Also during the last year the Society has continued to play a prominent role in the affairs of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health with representation at the Speciality Group Committee and at the College’s first Conference of Committees. The Society, through its officers, has been approached to advise the College on several issues not least of which have been bids to the National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group (NSCAG) on both children’s liver services and on services for paediatric intestinal failure. Although not without controversy, these issues have clearly revealed the need for a forum which represents, at a national level, the needs of children with gastrointestinal and hepatic disease. As our Society grows in stature and influence it is well placed to provide such a forum.

A most important development in the last year has been the commencement of the training assessment visits by the College Specialist Advisory Committee (CSAC) to a number of major paediatric gastroenterology and hepatology centres in England. Although the CSAC is a College committee and not a committee of the Society, the BSPGN has had a prominent role in the formation and running of this crucially important body.

A further noteworthy development which has emerged during the last year has been the unexpected expansion of posts for consultant paediatric gastroenterologists. The extent to which the BSPGN should be involved in the consultation and planning process for such posts is an issue on which members may have views and, if so, they can write to the President so that a composite view can be passed onto the College.

The BSPGN has continued to strengthen its links with other sister organisations both national and internationally including: BPNMG, BAPEN, BSG, ESPGAN and CAPGAN.

The Society has continued to promote post-graduate education and training although this year’s training course due to be held in Leeds had to be postponed by the organisers. Obviously, we will have to address the question of who needs training and when and how best to make the necessary provisions. Our winter meeting hosted by Mark Beattie in Peterborough was a resounding success both academically and socially with 137 members and guests attended the meeting. So many congratulations to Mark for his superb efforts on behalf of the Society!

This year 63 abstracts, one of the largest number so far and the majority of high standard, were submitted for presentation in our speciality session at the RCPCH which is a healthy sign of the amount of academic endeavour within paediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition .

National Register of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The National Register of Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease has now been running successfully for 17 months and has registered over 150 new patients. It has been well supported by all contributors whose help in creating this important ongoing resource is greatly appreciated. We are in the process of making the register available for

research projects and will be vetting the first set of preliminary applications in November 1998.

David Casson
Royal Free Hospital

Commonwealth Association of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (CAPGAN)

This has been a momentous year for our sister organisation. CAPGAN, which following a successful meeting in Karachi in November 1997, went on to receive Observer Status at the meetings of Commonwealth Health Ministers. CAPGAN will be sending a delegation to the next meeting of Commonwealth Health Ministers in Barbados in November 1998. CAPGAN will also play a role in the organisation and running of the First World Congress of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition in Boston in August 2000. In association with the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, CAPGAN is co-hosting an Update on Paediatric Gastroenterology in New Delhi in November 1998 and the 5th Commonwealth Congress on Diarrhoea and Malnutrition is scheduled to occur in Darwen, Australia in 2001. For further details of CAPGAN contact either John Walker-Smith or Peter Sullivan.

BSPGN Annual Dinner

There has been some confusion over entitlement to attend our Annual Dinner which is traditionally held on the Tuesday evening following our session at the Annual meeting of the RCPCH in York. The Hon. secretary would like to clarify the present position as endorsed by Council. The Dinner is open free of charge to all Full members of BSPGN. In order that the Alex Mowat prize may be received at the Annual Dinner, this will now be open to all those non-members who are presenting a paper in the BSPGN session on the understanding that the cost of their attendance at the Dinner is borne by their sponsoring Full Member. Similarly, Associate Members may attend the Dinner as the guest of a Full Member who would be responsible for the costs incurred. Early notification of any additional guests is important for the organisers.

Amalgamation BPNMG/BSPGN

The recent establishment of a British Inherited Metabolic Disease Group independent of the British Paediatric Nutrition & Metabolism Group (BPNMG) has led to suggestions that there should be a single voice for nutrition in the RCPCH. At the AGMs of both societies it was agreed in principle that the BPNMG should join the BSPGN and this was ratified at the recent BSPGN council meeting. It was agreed that:

Adrian Thomas
Manchester

BSPGN Web site http://w3.abdn.ac.uk/bspgn/

BSPGN Finance

Current finances stand at £15,189.00

Dr V Miller Manchester

Forthcoming Meetings :

The 4th Joint meeting of the British and Italian Societies of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Oxford, September 22 - 24 1999

There will be no Winter Meeting in 1999, instead BSPGN will host a joint meeting with our Italian counterparts in the Autumn. The Organisers are working to make this an attractive meeting both scientifically and socially. A range of high quality yet modestly priced accommodation has been arranged. Members are earnestly encouraged to "fly the flag" and make a point of attending this meeting and making our Italian colleagues welcome.

Further details can be obtained from Peter Sullivan

BSPGN Year 2000 Winter Meeting Swallow Royal Hotel, Bristol 21 st -22 nd January 2000

Details Dr B Sandhu, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, St Michael’s Hill, Bristol BS2 8BJ Tel No 0117 928 5445

British Society of Gastroenterology

Glasgow, 23 - 25 March 1999

Paediatric Symposium on basic mechanisms (25/3/98)
Nutrition & enterocyte gene expression in the intestine (Professor I Sanderson, London)
Extracellular Matrix: Its role in epithelial function in health and disease (Dr M Kedinger, Strasbourg)
Immunocyte modelling of the inflamed intestine (Professor T T MacDonald, London)
SOA - The regulation of lactase expression (Professor D Swallow, London).

The Royal Free Hospital London

Ninth Annual Course in Paediatric Gastroenterology

October 26-28, 1998. This intensive three day postgraduate course in paediatric gastroenterology is open to Specialist Registrars and Consultants: approved for 5 CME points per day.

For information and registration forms contact Professor JA Walker-Smith, University Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, The Royal Free Hospital, Pond St, London NW3 2QG. Telephone 44-171-830-2779 Fax 44-171-830-21476

First Masterclass in Modern Paediatric Endoscopy

October 28-29, 1998

For information and registration forms contact Dr Mike Thomson, University Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, The Royal Free Hospital, Pond St, London NW3 2QG. Telephone 44-171-830-2779 Fax 44-171-830-21476

St Bartholomew’s Hospital London

Nutritional Management of Disease in Children

March 11-12, 1999

For information and registration forms contact Professor Ian Sanderson, Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London EC1A 7BE. Telephone 44-171-601-8172 Fax 44-(0)171-600-5901

King’s College Hospital London

Management of Immunosuppression and its complications after liver transplantation in childhood

February 10 th 1999. Course organiser Dr A Dhawan
For further information contact Jean Stagg Tel No 0171 346 4643 Fax No 0171 346 4224

Paediatric Hepatology for SpR’S

April 20 th - 21 st 1999 Course organiser Dr A Baker
For further information contact Ruth Weber Tel No 0171 346 3214 fax No 0171 346 3564

Paediatric Liver Disease - An overview (organised in conjunction with the children’s liver disease foundation)

June 22 nd 1999
For further information contact Mrs Catherine Arkley Tel No 0121 212 3839 Fax No 0121 212 4300

Newsletter produced by Dr RM Beattie - apologies for any errors or ommissions

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