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Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
A message from the President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
As the President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, I am delighted that we will be co-hosting the 2021 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) Annual Scientific Congress in Melbourne in May 2021. I hope upon hope that I can be with you in person to welcome you to Melbourne but, we all know that decision is not in my hands. It feels like there may now be light at the end of the tunnel with the announcement of the first vaccine. It looks promising, but there is still a long way to go. It has been a difficult year for all of you working within the healthcare sector, but also for all those across the globe whose families, friends and loved ones are dealing with an extraordinarily challenging situation. We, as surgeons, dentists and healthcare workers, must set the example of social distancing, meticulous hygiene and restraint, in our workplace and at home, and hope that the population, in general, appreciates and realises the serious risks if we do not adhere to these principles. As someone who has dedicated their life to saving lives, it is abhorrent to me that we are having to choose between the health of people and the health of the economy. I have to say that Australia and New Zealand have shown us how it ought to be done by moving quickly to lock down borders, test, test and test again, and to lock down regionally. Your strategy has worked. I have long been an admirer of RACS and it gives me great pleasure to be hosting
this joint enterprise next year, whether that be virtually, face-to-face or as a blend. I am really looking forward to the conference in whatever guise it is held. As two prestigious colleges, we share strong bonds and common values, especially when it comes to looking after our members and Fellows in the workplace. Our campaign, #letsremoveit, sought to stamp out bullying and undermining in the workplace and our latest campaign, ‘Making it Better for Everyone’, builds on that work and now focuses on diversity, patient safety and sustainability, all of which I know are high on the agenda for RACS. Now, more than ever, it is important that we continue our strong bonds and work together to strive for the best standards of patient safety and care, even in such challenging conditions. The widespread adoption of teleconferencing, webinars and the beginning of online examinations has not only allowed us to continue our important work, but also to find new ways of educating and developing the incoming generations of surgeons, dentists and healthcare professionals. We will utilise what we have learnt to share best practice, to debate and to discuss the issues as a collective group in May. The program looks outstanding, with a mix of online and in-person events (COVID-19 dependent), allowing us to share learnings across specialities, forge new relationships, seek out new opportunities and tighten our strong bonds with colleagues around the world.
Professor Michael Griffin OBE
I am still optimistic that over the coming six months we will reach a new normal that allows us to get elective surgery back on track and hold more faceto-face meetings, as well as remote, educational meetings. We all miss our friends and colleagues around the world. I look forward to a time when we can all meet safely again. In the meantime, I send my very best wishes to you all. ď Ž
