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Mar
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These guidelines on Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Stent-Shunt (TIPSS) in the management of portal hypertension have been commissioned by the Clinical Services and Standards Committee (CSSC) of the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) under the auspices of the Liver Section of the BSG. The guidelines are new and have been produced in collaboration with the British Society of Interventional Radiology (BSIR) and British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL). The guidelines development group (GDG) comprises elected members of the BSG Liver Section, representation from British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL), a nursing representative, and two patient representatives. The quality of evidence and grading of recommendations was appraised using the GRADE system.
These guidelines are aimed at health care professionals considering referring a patient for a TIPSS. They comprise the following subheadings: (1) indications; (2) patient selection; (3) procedural details; (4) complications; and (5) research agenda. They are not designed to address: (1) the management of the underlying liver disease; (2) the role of TIPSS in children; or (3) complex technical and procedural aspects of TIPSS.
Feb
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The 2020 ACCEA round opens on Friday 13th March 2020 and closes at 17:00 on Thursday 7th May 2020.
DEADLINE for applying for BASL support is 09:00 WEDNESDAY 8th APRIL 2020.
BASL will need to have completed the process of selecting those applicants who will receive our support well before the ACCEA deadline date.
If you wish to be considered for a national award in the 2020 round and seek BASL support, you should submit a copy of your ACCEA Application Form, along with any other supplementary CVQs; Research & Innovation (Form D), Teaching & Training (Form E), Leadership & Management (Form F).
Applications should be sent to the BASL Secretariat to Judy Hawksworth at judy@basl.org.uk .
When submitting your application to BASL, please provide the name of an individual who has agreed to write your supporting citation. Please note: we will need to request a citation for every applicant even if the member is not successful in gaining BASL support, in order to meet the tight deadlines imposed by the ACCEA.
ACCEA regard the citations provided by BASL as important: they give added value to the process. The citation helps clarify information in the application and can put an individual's contribution into the wider context.
Eligibility
As in previous years BASL are able to support colleagues (BASL members) directly by nomination for national Gold, Silver and Bronze awards. As a specialist society, BASL cannot make nominations for Platinum awards; this must be done through the applicant’s University/Research Body and Universities UK. BASL can however provide a citation to support an application for a Platinum award.
How to apply for BASL support:
1. Send a copy of your completed ACCEA Application Form and other supplementary CVQs to the BASL Secretariat to judy@basl.org.uk . BASL also requires a short piece on your work with BASL and why you feel you should be supported by them.
Deadline to submit your application to BASL is 09:00 WEDNESDAY 8th APRIL 2020.
All applications are completed through the ACCEA on line system. Downloadable copies of the application form and CVQ’s will be on the ACCEA website from 20th February 2020 and are intended to help those who wish to work on their application offline before completing online.
2. When submitting your application to BASL, please provide the name and email address of an individual who has agreed to write your supporting citation.
3. Applications are scored independently by a panel of 3 or 4 members of the BASL Committee.
4. If you are successful of BASL support we will upload your citation to your application on the ACCEA website. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have completed your on line application to ACCEA as per their instructions and regulations.
5. BASL will upload their supporting citations separately to their ranked lists. Individual scores are not submitted to the national panel but a ranked order for each award category is stated.
Please understand that in fairness to all applicants, late submissions will not be considered.
Further information on how BASL decides whom to support can be found in the document below:
Download How BASL Decides_ACCEA 2020.pdf
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact judy@basl.org.uk .
Jan
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The year 2020 has been designated as the ‘Year of the Nurse and the Midwife’ by the World Health Organization (WHO) in recognition of the contributions they make. The most desperate of problems for the National Health Service is of nursing shortages and WHO’s chief nurse Elizabeth Iro called for countries to recognise that ‘it is the only way they can achieve universal health coverage in which everyone has access to quality and affordable healthcare services that they need’.
Historically, nurses took up advanced practices to serve remote rural areas as a part of Grenfell Mission in 19th century; fallout of World War II and shortage of experienced nurses necessitated formal development of these roles. Internationally, specialist nurses have filled the gaps in family practice as well as hospital residency programmes (Download History of advanced nursing1.pdf). In Hepatology, the role of specialist nurses became established with the recognition of hepatitis C and advances in its treatment. Now nurses lead key services in Hepatology across the UK co-ordinating cancer care, performing transient elastographies, ascites drainage, and liver biopsies as well as contributing to advances through research. Nurse-led services are associated with superior performance indicators such as lower rate of emergency admission to hospitals for paracentesis.
The global shortage of nurses is predicted to reach 9 million by 2030, albeit, Pope Francis enthusiastically supporting the ‘noblest of the professions’ by hailing nurses ‘the most numerous’!
In the ‘Year of the Nurse’ and 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, BASL will celebrate this nursing achievement through an award during BASL2020, 8-11th September Plymouth.
Jan
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A rise in alcohol duty in the upcoming Budget could help fund thousands of new jobs in health and public services, say top health experts.
In a letter to the Chancellor, the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA), a coalition of more than 50 leading UK health organisations, call for an increase in alcohol duty by 2% above inflation to ease pressure on public finances, tackle the harm caused by alcohol and fund our NHS.
Recent cuts to alcohol duty have cost the government more than £1 billion every year – enough to fund the salaries of 40,000 nurses or 29,000 police officers.
Current levels of duty – and the constant pressure to reduce them further – have been immensely costly to the Government and wider society.
Research from the University of Sheffield shows that cuts in alcohol duty since 2012 have led to:
• 1,969 additional deaths
• 61,386 additional hospitalisations
• £317 million in additional costs to the NHS
• 111,062 additional criminal offences
• 484,727 additional days of workplace sickness absence
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: “Alcohol is 64% cheaper than it was thirty years ago, and its availability at these prices is encouraging more of us to drink at unhealthy levels. It is no coincidence that deaths from liver disease have increased in line with alcohol’s affordability in the UK. In order to protect the future health of our society, the Government must take action now by increasing duty on alcohol and investing that money into our over-stretched and underfunded NHS and public services.”
Helen Donovan, Professional Lead for Public Health at the Royal College of Nursing, said: “Alcohol abuse continues to do serious damage to people’s lives and it is often society’s most vulnerable who are hit hardest by our failure to confront it. With alcohol-related admissions to hospitals have rising year-on-year in England and thousands of lives continuing to be cut short, it is clear that urgent action is needed to tackle the ill-effects of alcohol abuse. Increasing the duty on alcohol sales is just one step required to relieve pressure on NHS services; this revenue could be invested in nursing staff and services based within communities that aim to change cultural and social attitudes towards alcohol and provide world-class health protection programmes.“
BMA Board of Science Chair Professor Dame Parveen Kumar said: “Despite having a wealth of evidence to show the devastating impact that alcohol has on health, families and society, nowhere near enough is being done to reduce the risks to the public’s health. As doctors, we see the detrimental impact that alcohol has on health on a daily basis. Not only the impact on physical health, being linked to conditions such as cancer and liver cirrhosis, but also the profoundly destructive impact it can have on mental health. At a time when NHS resources and staff are in short supply, the extra funding raised from the increase in alcohol duty could go directly back into NHS services, as well as funding local alcohol prevention and support programmes. Increasing duty on alcohol is one of the wider measures that the Government must take if we are to stop alcohol resulting in more lives being ruined, or worse still, lost.”
Professor Julia Sinclair, Chair of the Addictions Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “As a frontline addiction psychiatrist I see first-hand the damage alcohol causes to the health of individuals, their families and wider society. Alcohol related hospital admissions have reached record levels, costing the NHS millions, and comes at a time when devastating cuts have been made to addiction services. The Chancellor should increase alcohol duty to protect people’s health and to reduce the increasing pressures on the NHS.”
Dr Zulfiquar Mirza, Alcohol Lead at the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said: “We are concerned by the harm attributable to alcohol in our society, particularly those relating to short- and long-term health, crime and disorder. The brunt of the short-term health consequences of excess and irresponsible alcohol consumption falls on the ambulance service and the UK’s already hard-pressed Emergency Departments. Many alcohol related attendances to the ED are preventable and hamper the ability of our emergency care systems to look after other patients, so we welcome the Alcohol Health Alliance’s move to increase alcohol duty.”
Jan
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The Guts UK / Dr Falk awards recognise the achievements of those who bring new insight to gastroenterology and hepatology, and the collaboration that furthers patient care. These awards are an opportunity to achieve national recognition as well as the financial support for career progression.
Awards available:
A £1,000 prize for the best essay on gastroenterology or hepatology research personally undertaken by medical students who were on an intercalated BSc/MRes/MSc/MPH/MBPhD* course during the previous academic year (2018-19).
Four £1,500 prizes for medical students taking full-time science degrees (BSc/MRes/MSc/MPH/MBPhD*) focusing on gastrointestinal or liver-related disease in the current academic year (2019-20).
Two £2,500 awards for F1/F2 doctors to facilitate prospective research in an area relevant to gastroenterology or hepatology.
A £1,000 award for primary and secondary care gastrointestinal/liver nurses for initiatives that have improved patient care. This year we are also inviting colleagues to nominate nurses to this award.
A £1,000 award for dietitians working in gastroenterology or hepatology for initiatives that have improved patient care.
Up to £10,000 is available for UK-based gastroenterology / hepatology SpR trainees who would like to conduct an audit or quality improvement project in any area of gastroenterology, liver disease or nutrition.
Applications close at 17:00 on Monday 6th April 2020.
For further information and to apply: https://gutscharity.org.uk/research/grants-and-awards/
* PhD students should note that they may apply for the medical student prize only once during their three-year studentship and that they may apply for the essay prize when their PhD has been completed.
Jan
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The Commission on Alcohol Harm is today launching a call for evidence as part of its inquiry into alcohol harm and the changes needed to reduce the harm caused by alcohol.
The Commission will hold three oral evidence sessions across the UK later this year, and has launched a call for written evidence, with submissions welcomed before the deadline of 12 noon on 17 February 2020.
The Commission is interested in receiving evidence from academic researchers, charities, healthcare professionals, professional bodies, commissioners and those affected by alcohol harm in their personal, professional or family life.
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, said: “The Commission on Alcohol Harm is an extremely important investigation into how all parts of our society are impacted by our drinking habits.
“We need to have voices representing the wide range of experiences of alcohol harm; including those on the front-line, researchers and those with first hand experience of alcohol harm. Together, we can build a solid case for change.”
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Chair of the Commission on Alcohol Harm, said: “Alcohol plays a huge part of the everyday lives of many people across the UK, and therefore it is important to examine its impact on our society more closely. We need to understand how our drinking habits affect our own health as well as the way alcohol can affect those around us.
“We welcome the input of those who face the effects of alcohol harm in their professional or personal lives in order to help us make meaningful recommendations on a vision for the future.”
To share your views, please submit written evidence to harms_commission@ahauk.org by 17 February 2020.
Visit the AHA website for submission guidelines: http://ahauk.org/commission-on-alcohol-harm/ .
Dec
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On the verge of Christmas holidays, the final report of the Lancet Commission has been published and it calls out ‘unacceptable failures’. Harmful effects on health resulting from lifestyle causes have been unrelenting and the frustration growing with the burden on health services.
About 80% of cirrhosis occurs in individuals with at least one of the risk factors- alcohol excess, type 2 diabetes or obesity. Nearly half of the patients with cirrhosis are diagnosed when they are admitted to an in-patient service with acute problems. The outcome of patients with cirrhosis diagnosed as in-patients are worse than those diagnosed as out-patients even when corrected for the stage of cirrhosis. So, it is logical to look to diagnose cirrhosis earlier, intervene to prevent the decompensating episode with an intention to reduce hospitalisation.
UK National Screening Committee (NSC) invites new screening topics annually. On behalf of BASL, I have proposed a screening programme to identify cirrhosis among high-risk group using non-invasive tools that are now widely accessible, (link to Scarred Liver PDF - Download UK NSC Annual Call Template Submission Form 2019 Scarred Liver BASL.pdf). Such a proposition is bound to be provocative, but, I hope that it generates serious debate.
Guruprasad Aithal
President, BASL
Dec
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The tenure of the current Communications and Website Lead will come to an end in January 2020 and as such, BASL are now seeking expressions of interest for this post.
The Communications and Website Lead is elected by the membership to serve for a period of up to three years and may be re-elected once.
In addition to his/her role on the Governing Board, the post holder is responsible for working with the BASL Secretariat on any website upgrades, to increase BASL’s presence on social media and to work with the committee on developing the BASL member’s portal. A working knowledge of Twitter is desirable.
The post holder will be registered with Companies House in the UK as a Director of BASL and registered with the Charities Commission as a Trustee.
Nomination Process
Please send your nominations, clearly stating the position that your nomination is for, to the BASL Secretariat at judy@basl.org.uk by the deadline of 17:00 on Friday 13th December 2019.
Candidates wishing to be considered for this post require one BASL member to propose them and a second BASL member to confirm their suitability for the role in writing.
If more than one candidate is nominated, the Secretariat will arrange for an election of all members. He/she will be elected by simple majority of those members voting. A personal statement, containing no more than approx. 300 words, will be required from the candidate should an election need to take place.
The newly elected post will be announced in the January 2020 newsletter to members.
If you need any more information, please do not hesitate to contact judy@basl.org.uk .
Dec
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The tenure of the current Secretary will come to an end in January 2020 and as such the British Viral Hepatitis Group (BVHG) are now seeking expressions of interest for this post.
The British Viral Hepatitis Group aims to improve the management and study of patients with chronic viral liver disease, bringing together UK hepatologists, gastroenterologists, infectious disease physicians, virologists and interested epidemiologists.
The BVHG Secretary is elected by the BASL / BVHG membership to serve for a period of up to three
year’s and may be re-elected once. The Secretary is responsible for running the administrative tasks pertaining to his/her function and will work closely with the BASL Secretariat, which is appointed by the BASL Governing Board.
The main roles of the post are to support the BVHG Chair in the organisation of educational events and to help arrange the BASL / BVHG Hepatology and Viral School.
The BVHG is commissioned by the BASL Governing Board to:
• a) promote research and the exchange of scientific information concerning viral hepatitis;
• b) foster multicentre scientific studies pertaining to viral hepatitis within the UK;
• c) promote education of physicians, surgeons, clinical nurse specialists and scientists
• with regard to viral hepatitides and their management;
• d) Promote interaction between clinical disciplines to promote good care of patients and foster research and clinical trials.
Nomination Process
Please send your nominations, clearly stating the position that your nomination is for, to the BASL Secretariat at judy@basl.org.uk by the deadline of 17:00 on Friday 13th December 2019.
Candidates wishing to be considered for election will require one BASL member to propose them and a second BASL member to confirm their suitability for the role in writing.
If more than one candidate is nominated, the Secretariat will arrange for an election of all members. He/she will be elected by simple majority of those members voting. A personal statement, containing no more than approx. 300 words, will be required from the candidate should an election need to take place.
The newly elected post will be announced in the January 2020 newsletter to members.
If you require any further information about this role please contact the current post holder Dr Will Gelson at william.gelson@addenbrookes.nhs.uk .
Oct
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The UK NSC has opened the annual call for new screening topics. It provides every individual, group or organisation with the opportunity to submit a proposal for a new screening programme. This window of opportunity closes at midnight on 4th December 2019.
If you wish to propose a new screening topic that is not already on the UK NSC list, the guidance, submission form and an example proposal are all available at the end of this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-nsc-evidence-review-process/appendix-d-how-to-submit-a-proposal-to-the-uk-nsc .
Please ensure you read through the guidance and use the template submission form which will guide you through all the requirements of a proposal.
For more information about the annual call please read our blog:
https://phescreening.blog.gov.uk/2019/09/05/annualcall2019/
Evidence Team
UK National Screening Committee
www.screening.nhs.uk