Agenda

Council and Dental
posts announced

After a ballot of the College’s membership we are pleased to announce the following appointments to Council. Angus Watson has been re-elected for a five-year term, and Farhat Din and Haroon Rehman have each been elected for five-year terms.

Watson, Din and Rehman took up their positions at the Annual General Meeting, when Mike Silva and Sai Vittal demitted.

GOING GLOBAL

Professor Grant McIntyre has taken up Deanship of the Dental Faculty following the Executive Board Meeting in September. It brought to a close Professor Philip Taylor’s tenure as Dental Dean. He made a significant contribution to promoting the Faculty and seeking opportunities for international expansion. Read Professor McIntyre’s first Dental Dean column on page 40.

KNOWLEDGE AND INSIGHT

The Faculty of Dental Surgery is pleased to welcome the election of new Vice-Dean, William McLaughlin. He has a vast knowledge of the College and will bring insight of dental politics to support the role and the Dean.

The following three Members also took their seat on Dental Council: Professor Lotfy Kelany Abdelfadil Elshoubaky, Toby Gillgrass and Professor Alison Qualtrough.

**Grant McIntryre**

**Grant McIntryre**

**William McLaughlin**

**William McLaughlin**

Surgeons’ News gets creative

We hope you’re enjoying our Surgeons’ News digital hub. It is our way of bringing you more enhanced, interactive content while working towards achieving the College’s sustainability goals.

This is only the start of our digital journey, with future issues seeing us explore more creative ways of bringing you the latest articles, news and more.

The late Professor George Parks (right) with his son, RCSEd President Professor Rowan Parks

The late Professor George Parks (right) with his son, RCSEd President Professor Rowan Parks

Enduring influence on
the surgical community

The College was saddened to hear of the passing of Professor George Parks, previous President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and father of our own President, Professor Rowan Parks.

A distinguished alumnus of Queen’s University Belfast, he graduated in 1959 and pursued postgraduate training at renowned institutions across Belfast and London, as well as a notable stint in the US. He obtained his FRCSEd in 1963 and FRCSI ad eundem in 1981, marking pivotal milestones in his illustrious career.

A Fellow of the RCSEd for 60 years, he contributed to the College significantly, lending his wisdom to the role of Examiner for over two decades, and acting as a Northern Ireland Regional Adviser for 13 years and a member of the General Surgery Specialty Advisory Board.

“Beyond academic achievements Professor Parks enjoyed an active surgical career”

Beyond his academic achievements Professor Parks enjoyed an active surgical career. From 1971 to 2000 he served as a consultant surgeon in Belfast City Hospital and Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast. His specialisation in gastrointestinal surgery, particularly colorectal disease and trauma, was a key focus of his published works.

His leadership in roles across esteemed medical associations, including President of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, President of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, President of the RCSI and more, further attested to his enduring influence on the surgical community.

We are sure the impact of this loss will be felt among the profession and colleagues of Professor Parks far and wide. The College extends its deepest condolences to his family during this difficult time.

Put to the test

The potential for an International Dental Clinical Skills Competition was first suggested by former Dental Council Member Professor Brian Nattress, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented it from being developed. The idea was discussed by the Dental Executive and Dental Council in 2023. After meticulous planning the inaugural competition, which was run by the Faculty of Dental Surgery, took place on 19 August at the International Medical University (IMU), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Eight dental schools participated and selected their top two final year students to take part. The format involved the preparation of a maxillary left permanent canine tooth to receive a ceramo-metal crown along with a series of OSCE stations. The latter involved developmental dental anatomy, manual dexterity (tested using laparoscopy), orthodontics and origami.

These stations were devised to test clinical and cognitive skills, clinical knowledge and the ability to follow instructions. The competition ran over two hours and was supported by a wide team of staff from the RCSEd along with the local IMU team. The students had the opportunity to meet College representatives for lunch before the competition and afterwards for refreshments before the award ceremony.

As the competition got underway the students’ anticipation was palpable, as this type of inter-university competition is not a regular feature of student life in Malaysia. As the competition proceeded, they became more relaxed and some seemed to enjoy the networking opportunity with their peers and the RCSEd group. Several members of the College senior leadership team were spotted attempting to prepare cavities on a phantom head’s teeth. Each station was marked objectively and the marks were collated in the same manner used for College exams to ensure the process was rigorous.

At the award ceremony each student was presented with a certificate of participation along with an RCSEd goody bag. The third-placed runner-up, Goh Su Mein, received a certificate and £100 Shopee voucher; and the second-placed runner-up, Melissa Binti Mohammad, received a £200 Shopee voucher. The overall competition winner, William Tan Yan Wei, received a £300 Shopee voucher, the first-place certificate and an RCSEd quaich. All of the students, their Deans and the RCSEd team enjoyed the competition and are keen to run this again in the future.

**Faculty and delegates at the MRCS Part B course at Dhulikhel, Nepal**

**Faculty and delegates at the MRCS Part B course at Dhulikhel, Nepal**

Expanding activities in Nepal

The RCSEd has been working hard to reinstate its ties with Nepal. The College had a strong presence in Nepal until 2000 with activities including FRCS courses, exams and a diploma ceremony in 2000 graced by the late Queen Aishwarya. This was disrupted following the royal massacre in 2001 and political instability¹.

Since 2013 we have made efforts to re-establish links. Professor Mike Lavelle Jones made a Vice-Presidential visit in November 2014 and then-President Professor Michael Griffin travelled to Nepal in September 2022 to strengthen connections.

Eight RCSEd-accredited laparoscopic surgery courses since 2013 and four Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons courses have been conducted in the country annually since 2017 (excluding two years during the pandemic). The College also held a Future Surgeons course in Kathmandu in September 2022.

On 26 and 27 August this year the College held an MRCS Part B preparation course at Dhulikhel, a university town 30km east of Kathmandu. This was attended by 16 delegates – nine from Nepal and seven from India, Bangladesh and Malaysia.

The course was directed by Zahid Raza, Convener of Examinations, and Faculty present included Stuart Clark, Judy Evans, Ray Delicata, Kamal Aryal, Professor Pradeep Ghimire and Professor Balaram Malla.

The feedback was excellent, and there was call for further courses and MRCS Part B examinations in Nepal. Five other College Fellows from Nepal observed the course and commented on its usefulness for planning postgraduate objective structured clinical examinations.

Reference

Aryal K, Ward J, Lavelle-Jones M. Peak Practice. Surgeons’ News 2015; 14(1): 25–27.

Non-technical skills in Indonesia

At the invitation of the College of Surgeons of Indonesia, the RCSEd ran the first Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons courses in Indonesia in Bandung and Jakarta on 15 and 16 August. Each course had 25 delegates from surgical specialties covering Java and the surrounding islands, facilitated by Dr Nyityasmono Tri Nugroho and Dr Putie Hapsari.

**From left: Stuart Clark, Ainul Syahrilfazli, Shidah Abd Lah, Yeap Chee Loong, Andre Das and Hanafiah Bin Harunarashid at the NOTSS course**

**From left: Stuart Clark, Ainul Syahrilfazli, Shidah Abd Lah, Yeap Chee Loong, Andre Das and Hanafiah Bin Harunarashid at the NOTSS course**

Charity launch highlights FPHC
international efforts

In a significant step in developing its international reach, earlier this year representatives of the RCSEd’s Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care (FPHC) were honoured to attend the launch of a new charity, Saving Lives International.

Hosted at the House of Lords, the reception opened with an address from The Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell, Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

During the event the Faculty had the opportunity to showcase its Pre-Hospital Trauma Care course and other support for patient care in India.

This initiative’s genesis dates back to 2018 when Dr Peter Patel initiated discussions with the FPHC to develop a tailored pre-hospital care course for India. Given the country’s alarming statistics of accidental deaths, including those due to forces of nature and human negligence, there was a pressing need for better disaster preparedness and recovery strategies.

“The Faculty had the opportunity to showcase its Pre-Hospital Trauma Care course in India”

Over time these discussions evolved and led to the adoption of the FPHC-endorsed Pre-Hospital Trauma Care course as a vehicle for international training. Clearly, primary and secondary prevention are paramount in reducing deaths and disability from accidents, but the course aims to improve tertiary prevention through optimal first aid and pre-hospital treatment.

Following the reception FPHC Chair Dr Pam Hardy thanked Dr Patel and Professor James Kingsland for their collaboration and approach to the Faculty.

She said: “We are proud to be working with you and the trustees, and wish the Saving Lives International charity all the very best in your endeavours.”

From left to right: Professor James Kingsland, Dr David Bruce, Dr Peter Patel, H E Gyan Chandra Acharya (Ambassador of Nepal to the UK), Dr Pam Hardy and Dr Rob Russell

Andy Kent receives OBE

Congratulations to Andy Kent, Deputy Chair of the Faculty of Remote, Rural and Humanitarian Healthcare and distinguished trauma and orthopaedic surgeon at Raigmore Hospital, on his honour of an OBE for his remarkable contributions to healthcare overseas and throughout the pandemic.

Endorsed by UK-Med and the RCSEd, his OBE underscores his humanitarian commitment. Kent has served in diverse, challenging locations, and his recent missions include aiding war-torn Ukraine and supporting the global pandemic response.

We are extremely proud of him and thankful that his expertise and experience have influenced the development of the Faculty of Remote, Rural and Humanitarian Healthcare (FRRHH) over the last five years.

The FRRHH is also marking significant achievements during its first five years. Initially established as the Faculty of Remote and Rural Healthcare, it incorporated Humanitarian in 2020 to address the pressing need in healthcare to define and set standards for medical and non-medical personnel delivering services in remote, rural and humanitarian environments.

“Kent’s recent missions include aiding war-torn Ukraine”

Its Capabilities Framework standardises essential knowledge, skills and behaviours required for safe practice in clinical and non-clinical roles within these challenging healthcare settings.

In 2021 the FRRHH Fellowship Fund enabled seven individuals to enhance their experience, further their knowledge and increase their skill set through a variety of projects.

The Faculty’s first educational offering, the free online Introduction to Humanitarian Healthcare course, provides valuable insights for aspiring humanitarian healthcare professionals.

This year the Faculty introduced awards of Membership and Fellowship, recognising excellence and commitment in the field.

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