College News - June 2008New SIGN guideline on CKDA new SIGN guideline on chronic kidney disease has just been published. Added 26 June 2008 RCPE Comment on Scottish Government Alcohol Action PlanProf Neil Douglas, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, said, “The Scottish Government should be commended for bringing forward a number of radical and imaginative proposals for consultation aimed at reducing the escalating health problems caused by excessive alcohol consumption in Scotland. “This package of proposals is wide ranging and largely based on evidence of successful public health measures adopted in other countries. While some of these measures might, at first, appear extreme and may be opposed by the alcohol industry and retailers, we have reached a position where the Scottish Government must take action. “We should make no mistake, the harm caused to health by excessive alcohol consumption has reached crisis levels in Scotland and radical measures are now required to address this national problem”. ENDS Contact: Graeme McAlister on 0131-247-3693 or 07808-939395 Notes to Editors The Scottish Government's Action Plan on Alcohol consultation can be accessed at - http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/16084348/0 Added 17 June 2008 RCPE Educational Programme Autumn 2008A number of symposia have been confirmed for the RCPE programme of educational events in the autumn. These include paediatric epilepsy, renal medicine, cardiovascular medicine, gastroenterology, expedition medicine, neurology and updates in acute medicine. Details below - CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE, Includes lectures on:
GASTROENTEROLOGY, Sessions on:
EXPEDITION MEDICINE,
Includes lectures on:
Includes sessions on:
48th ST. ANDREW'S DAY FESTIVAL SYMPOSIUM: UPDATES ON ACUTE MEDICINE, Includes sessions on:
Added 11 June 2008 RCPE Press release: Doctors to consider if presumed consent is the only answer to Scotland's organ donor crisisRoyal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) DOCTORS TO CONSIDER IF PRESUMED CONSENT IS THE ONLY ANSWER TO SCOTLAND’S ORGAN DONOR CRISIS Doctors from throughout Scotland will be meeting in Edinburgh today, Monday 9 June 2008, at an event organised by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE), to consider if introducing a system of presumed consent for organ donation in Scotland is the only way of tackling Scotland’s organ donor crisis or if other options, which might be more acceptable to both doctors and the public as a whole, could prove to be as effective. [1] Currently 1000 people die every year throughout the UK and Scotland while awaiting suitable donor organs on transplantation lists and the UK has one of the lowest organ donor rates in Europe. While 90% of the population supports organ donation in principle, only 25% of the population has actually joined the NHS organ donor register. With demand for suitable donor organs expected to increase, particularly as a result of increases in liver disease, the need has never been greater for Scotland to decide how to tackle its increasing shortfall in suitable donor organs. In recent years, a system of Presumed Consent, by which suitable organs would be collected from recently deceased patients unless a patient had chosen to opt out of the system, has been advocated for Scotland. Such a system has been implemented in other countries including Spain, where the system has been credited with significantly improving organ donor rates and reducing deaths amongst patients awaiting transplantation. However, it is recognised that such a system could be politically controversial and unpopular with both doctors and the public if implemented in Scotland. [2] Against this background, Scottish medical staff from the main transplantation specialties (heart, liver and renal (kidney)) and other relevant specialties (eg intensive care) will be considering a system of Presumed Consent and a range of other options including –
The event will be opened by Ms Nicola Sturgeon, Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing, Scottish Government, it will include presentations from transplant experts from around the UK and a major debate on the arguments for and against Presumed Consent. Dr Stuart Rodger, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE), and Lead Organiser & Clinical Director of Renal Services, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, said, “Scotland is facing a major crisis in terms of a shortfall of suitable organ donors. While 90% of the public support the principle of organ donation, only 1 in 4 of us has joined the NHS organ donor register. Patients on transplant lists are continuing to die while awaiting suitable donor organs and major practical difficulties can arise for medical staff when other patients die without having registered their desire to donate their organs. In many cases suitable, healthy, organs which could save or transform lives cannot be retrieved and are wasted. “We are reaching a point where Scotland will have to take a political decision as to how it wishes to address this shortfall. One option which has been advocated is that of presumed consent, but it is unclear how controversial and unpopular this would be with both the public and medical staff in practice. While much attention has focussed on presumed consent, it is not the only option open to us as we seek to tackle this crisis. Significant improvements can be made to our systems for co-ordinating and collecting suitable organs from donors and major surgical advances have recently been made including Scotland’s first live liver donor transplant procedure. By convening this meeting today the RCPE hopes to inform future political decision-making in Scotland and to raise further awareness of the increasing shortfall in organ donors and how the public can play their part by signing up to the organ donor register.” Anyone wishing to sign-up to the NHS Organ Donor Register can do so online by visiting www.uktransplant.org.uk ENDS Contact: Graeme McAlister on 0131-247-3693 or 07808-939395 Notes to Editors [1] The event, ‘Organ Transplantation in Scotland: Presumed Consent and Other Options’, will be held at the RCPE, 9 Queen Street, Edinburgh, from 9.00am – 4.45pm on Monday 9 June 2008. http://www.rcpe.ac.uk/education/events/organ-tranplantation-june-08.php Journalists wishing to attend the event or interview Dr Stuart Rodger should contact Graeme McAlister on 0131-247-3693 or 07808-939395 [2] In recent years, the British Medical Association (BMA) has advocated a policy of presumed consent, but this is not supported by all doctors. Approximately 1 in 3 members of the British Transplant Society (the main medical transplant specialty association for doctors) opposed a system of presumed consent in a recent poll. The RCPE is keen to increase the availability of donor organs and is strongly supportive of the need for public debate on the issue of presumed consent, but the RCPE does not, as yet, have a firm position on presumed consent. Our reasons are as follows: the legal framework for presumed consent would need clarification the extent of local discretion would need careful consideration to balance the wishes of the deceased with the wishes or emotions of their living relatives the public would require reassurance that a register for opting out would work effectively other barriers to optimal organ transplantation would also have to be addressed i.e. the shortage of Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU) beds, making it difficult to facilitate organ donation irrespective of the wishes of patient or relative. Added 09 June 2008 RCPE Policy Response: Medical Profession (Misc Amendments) Order 2008The College has recently responded to the Department of Health consultation on the above order which will implement three GMC-related reforms, covering the GMC's education function, license to practice and revalidation, and the provision of an additional route to the Specialist Register for NHS consultants. Added 05 June 2008 Latest BTMH articlesTwo updated articles have recently been added to the Behind the Medical Headlines website, these are - Sunlight, sunscreens, health and melanoma (update) Rates of skin cancer are increasing worldwide. While skin cancer is most common in Australia and New Zealand, many other traditionally less sunny countries are also now experiencing increases in this disease. In this article Dr Val Doherty provides an overview of the effects of sunlight on health, the risk factors for skin cancer and the effectiveness of sunscreens and other methods of protecting skin from exposure to sunlight. Air pollution and stroke - is a causative association plausible? (update) The links between air pollution and respiratory disease are well established. Research has now suggested that air pollution could also have a causative effect in stroke. How plausible is this association? Prof Anthony Seaton reviews the evidence Added 03 June 2008
|
 |
 |