Reasons to be cheerful?

Deborah Eastwood

If it’s not one thing, it’s another – life keeps us on our toes and balls keep flying in from left field which I am not sure I can blame on the variety of World Cups be it rugby, football or cricket that have tried to distract us recently. Whilst juggling the ‘early’ winter pressures, staff and bed shortages, waiting lists, supply chain issues and the whims of the MHRA it can be difficult to feel optimistic but, in the words of Ian Dury there are ‘reasons to be cheerful’.

On your behalf I have congratulated Professor Tim Briggs on his appointment as NHS England’s National Director for Clinical Improvement and Elective Recovery – it will certainly be a boost to our colleagues and our patients to have an orthopaedic voice so close to the heart of government. He is asking us to think differently in how we deliver care and the BOA is looking to support innovative practice and ideas that will deliver sustainable system changes. Details of the Presidents’ Prize for Sustainable Change will be announced in the new year.

Congratulations too to Deepa Bose who is succeeding Rob Gregory as Chairman of the SAC – big shoes to fill but we have no doubt she will do so.

They say good things come in threes. Hot off the press we are delighted to congratulate John McFall on his selection as the world’s first person with a disability to undergo astronaut training. We really hope he makes it through to take orthopaedics into space! John featured in our June JTO, if you missed it I heartily recommend catching up, it’s a fantastic read.

Since Congress, the executive and I have been engaged in meeting as many of you as possible to ensure that we understand any local problems and we learn from the solutions you have found. On your behalf, we have also put our case to the new Secretary of State for Health and the Chief Executive of the NHS. We need to be proactive in lobbying for our patients and for ourselves: delivery of the elective recovery seems a near impossible ask when we know that there are non-ambulatory trauma admissions, the walking wounded waiting at home for surgical management of their fractures, medical patients with the full gamut of acute illnesses and then our deserving patients who need their life changing orthopaedic care. We have asked that they involve us in developing sustainable change in health care delivery for our MSK patients.

Our BOTA/BOA culture and diversity champions have been working hard designing and delivering projects to bring about sustainable culture change too. I was delighted to see that whilst women still represent only 7.8% of our consultant body, 19% of consultant appointments in 2021 went to women – change is happening.

The STEP (Scottish T&O Equality Project) had a 70% response rate and the analysis will be presented at the SCOT meeting next month. The LOST (Leaving Orthopaedic Surgical Training) Study has begun interviewing trainees who have left our profession to try and understand why. We are working closely with BOMSA (British Orthopaedic Medical Students Association) and BOTA to improve the perception of trauma and orthopaedics as a career option.

We are developing work streams on assessing and combating differential attainment and are very aware of the inequities in our examination systems for both conventional and non-conventional trainees: this needs to be addressed. We need to support our IMG and our SAS colleagues.

On the back of COP27, the BOA is keen to play its part in supporting the Green Surgery agenda and ensuring our systems are kind to the planet –another aspect that could be explored in projects for the President’s Prize for sustainable system change.

As 2022 draws to a close, I am looking forward to spending time with a bright and sparkly Xmas tree, family and friends. On behalf of all of us at the BOA I wish you all a merry Christmas and rest and relaxation over the festive season.