BABS CONFERENCE
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SURGEONS’ DEBATE
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Bringing balance
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Sabrina Samuels and Ofuchi Egbuji report on the inaugural conference of the British Association of Black Surgeons, and its mission to achieve diversity and inclusivity across the surgical field
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he British Association of Black Surgeons (BABS), the UK’s largest collaboration of Black surgical professionals, was launched in October 2021. They aim to promote diversity and inclusivity across the surgical field, widen participation in surgical leadership and promote long-term career development. BABS strive for professional excellence in patient care, education, and research. They encourage students and trainees to be involved in audits, quality improvement and collaborative research. Furthermore, they recognise that early mentorship can have a huge impact on future generations. BABS held their inaugural conference at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in November last year. It was a memorable day for all, honouring surgeons of the past, present, and future, whilst recognising the journey that must be continued to ensure equity and inclusivity for all. The platinum sponsor for the conference was the Royal College of Surgeons of
22 | Surgeons’ News | March 2023
BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN
Sabrina Samuels, CT2 Burns and Plastic Surgery, Nottingham University Hospitals
Ofuchi Egbuji CT3 Otolaryngology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals
Edinburgh (RCSEd). BABS is an organisation that strives for professional excellence in patient care, education and research. It encourages students and trainees to be involved in audits, quality improvement and collaborative research. Furthermore, it recognises that early mentorship can have a huge impact on future generations. RECOGNISE THE CHALLENGES Sarah Itam, Consultant Urological Surgeon, BABS CEO and Chair, kicked off the day highlighting some of the proven surgical challenges faced by Black individuals. These range from difficulty entering medical school (despite having equivalent grades), through to entering positions of leadership as a consultant. After an honest and wholesome introduction in relation to these challenges, and the importance of associations such as BABS, one could sense heartfelt movement within the crowd, who were simultaneously filled with anticipation and high expectations for the rest of the day. In Itam’s words: “If the surgical
landscape fails to include everyone, everyone in the surgical landscape has failed [and therefore] ultimately, we have failed our patients.” Lord Victor Adebowale CBE and Patron of BABS then gave an address. He shared with us his mother’s experiences of racism and the lack of opportunities she faced as a nurse within the NHS. The NHS is celebrating 75 years of service and, although steps have been taken to improve the racial disparity in health outcomes and the lack of diversity in leadership, these issues persist. Offering his personal support, Lord Adebowale engaged an audience of current and future surgeons with his words of encouragement and fervent support. Professor Michael Griffin OBE, Immediate Past President of the RCSEd, led a factual discussion that provided the audience with hard-hitting statistics regarding the poor representation of Black surgeons in the College and the wider surgical community. The reality being that the Royal Colleges of Surgeons in the UK, the NHS and its supportive collaborators need to