British Association of Day Surgery

Incoming President’s Letter

I write this letter with memories of Portsmouth still fresh in my mind. Once again, I felt this was a very successful and inspiring conference. Despite very legitimate concerns about the financial climate and study leave restrictions, delegate numbers were comparable to recent years and we again had very good support from our trade partners. We also accepted a total of 73 abstracts which were generally of a very high standard. Indeed, so high was the standard of the plenary abstract session, that the judges decided to break with tradition and award a second place prize, which then became a joint second when they could not distinguish between two of the papers. Congratulations then to the overall winner, Rachel Clancy for her paper on “Wide local excision and sentinel node biopsy for breast cancer — feasibility of day case surgery”. Congratulations also to the joint second place winners, William Hawkins for “Day case bariatric surgery — time to revise the guidelines from the Royal College of Surgeons of England” and to Steve Kent for “Talking rubbish” (which described waste management, recycling and other energy saving measures inspired by the green session at last year’s ASM). I would also like to add my congratulations to the winners of the various bronze, silver and gold poster certificates; these are listed elsewhere in this journal along with other memories of Portsmouth.

Portsmouth was very much about the coming of age of our Association and celebrating our many past achievements. But this also inspires us to look to the future, especially in my own case as I contemplate my aspirations for my next two years of Presidency. I am happy to say that your Association has been in very safe hands for the past few years; we have a good “brand image”, we are becoming ever more influential and our finances are reasonably sound, at least in the short term. Therefore, there is no need for me to take any drastic action or introduce any radical changes. Instead, I want to build on the firm foundation I have inherited and seek to extend our influence further. Therefore we will continue to consult with government departments and forge links with Royal Colleges and specialist societies. We have already run a successful meeting in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Scottish Government and a second is planned for next year. We are also engaging with the Royal College of Surgeons of England to run a joint meeting later this year.

While the details of the coalition government’s health policy remain sketchy, we know that the NHS faces tough times ahead. We also know that day and short stay surgery will be priorities, primarily because of the financial and efficiency savings that can be achieved. While this political drive may be advantageous, as day surgery specialists we need to keep reminding colleagues, patients and politicians that day surgery is also better and safer care. Better care, because of the high quality recovery in the comfort and convenience of their own home. I believe it is also safer because the recovery of patients is tracked along a well defined pathway, with any deviation serving as an early warning of potential problems. Before discharge, patients undergo a thorough review from an experienced nurse who will recognise the early signs of bleeding or leaks. Day surgery patients are also better informed on discharge and with the greater physiological challenge of partial self-care and away from the false security of the busy surgical ward, late problems will manifest sooner and be reported (and acted on) at an earlier stage. So as you all deliver and develop your day surgery services, feel proud that you are helping the financial wellbeing of your Trusts and your NHS. But remember the true motivation for your work. Day surgery: better care, safer care.

Ian Smith