RCS 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. 

A snapshot of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

In 2021, RACS will be collaborating with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh to host the 89th Annual Scientific Congress. Read on to find out more about this illustrious college.

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is 515 years old, and came into existence through the Seal of Cause, granted on 1 July 1505. The College formally became ‘The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’ in 1778, after being granted a new charter by King George III. The College contains seven Faculties, the latest being the Faculty of Remote, Rural and Humanitarian Healthcare, launched in 2018. The College currently has a membership of approximately 30,000 individuals. Forty per cent of the membership is comprised of international affiliates, members and Fellows in over 100 countries around the world. The College is not only based in Edinburgh, but includes a satellite office in Birmingham, England, and an international office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to meet the needs of the growing international membership. Surgeons’ Hall Museums, originally developed as a teaching museum for students of medicine, officially opened to the public in 1832, placing it among Scotland’s oldest museums. The College Library today contains around 40,000 books, some of which are very rare. Among these is a copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle dated 1493, two Books of Hours dated 1450 and 1490 and a first edition of William Harvey’s Exercitatio anatomica de motu cordis (1628). Joseph Lister, a former College Fellow, was world-renowned for his groundbreaking work in the prevention of wound infection, which contributed greatly to the advancement of surgical standards and led to him becoming known as ‘the father of modern surgery’. James Young Simpson, another Fellow, was the first physician to show the anaesthetic properties of chloroform and helped popularise its use in childbirth as a method of pain relief. The current patron of the College is His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who was awarded Honorary Fellowship on the 450th Anniversary of the College. Joseph Bell, a former President of the College (1887-1889), was known for his powers of observation and diagnostic acumen. One of his students, Arthur Conan Doyle, used Bell as the model for the character of the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. 

Spotlight on

Giving back

The Davison Family Trust Meet our new Global Health team Supervisors on giving back A hero of surgery 15 16 23 26

The College wouldn’t be the success it is without you.

This is the time we reflect on what has happened during the year and 2020 has certainly been unique. However, throughout all the turmoil we have continued to give back. We want to acknowledge and thank all those who work to empower and uplift others.

Read on to find out more about the fantastic work you and your colleagues contribute to by donating time to keep the College running, and mentoring and educating our next generation. See your contributions through the work done by the Foundation for Surgery and our Global Health program, and more.

There are a large number of surgeons, Trainees, Specialist International Medical Graduates and retired Fellows like you who give back so generously of your time, expertise or financial donations.