A message from BAPRAS' new President

I am very honoured to be the first two year President of BAPRAS. I believe that our strength comes from working together and it is in this spirit of collaboration that I will strive to serve you, the Association, (firmly supported by Council and the Secretariat) in every direction. I have spoken with many of you during the year and look forward to meeting many more as I visit NHS units around the country during the next two years.

I would like to thank Richard Milner for steering BAPRAS through a challenging year which kicked off with the PIP breast implant scandal and led to a well needed examination of the cosmetic surgery industry. The results of Sir Bruce Keogh’s review will be published this year and will certainly have important implications for our profession. Although challenging, it has also been a very exciting year. We have worked together to continue to drive the highest standards of patient care and have seen amazing surgeries in many areas, including developments in burns treatment, breast reconstruction and limb transplantation. It is poignant that a pioneer of the transplant, Joseph Murray, passed away in November. A description of Murray by Betsy Nabel, president of Brigham and Women's Hospital, should apply to each of us: ‘He selflessly sought to share his knowledge with his colleagues and to teach and mentor younger physicians.’

As well as sharing our knowledge within the Association, we continue to work collaboratively with key stakeholders to influence healthcare policy and practice. This year we have worked with policy makers, commissioners and wider stakeholder groups, such as the Royal College of Surgeons and the YMCA. Most recently we launched major new oncoplastic guidelines, developed by BAPRAS in collaboration with the Association of Breast Surgeons and Breast Cancer Care. In 2013, we will build on these successes, including publishing national guidelines for body contouring surgery, drawn up with obesity associations such as the British Obesity & Metabolic Surgery Society and the British Obesity Society.

It is appropriate that the theme of the BAPRAS Summer Meeting will be ‘Collaboration’. I invite you to join faculty from the Russian Federation, Georgia, China, Canada, Australia and Pakistan among others, for an event which will celebrate international charitable work by Association members and contributions to major trauma, debate evidence based practice and reflect on leadership. The meeting will take place at the earlier date of 19-21st June 2013 at the East Midlands Conference Centre on the Nottingham University Campus. The BAPRAS Winter Meeting 2013 is a joint meeting with the Irish Association of Plastic Surgeons in Dublin and is at the earlier date of 27-29th November.

Throughout this year we will be using the insights gathered from the 2012 Members Survey, which has been critical in understanding the aspirations and concerns members have about the future of plastic surgery and BAPRAS’ role in ensuring the specialism is appropriately championed. Each of you as a member has a unique voice about what you want to see from the Association so please feel free to communicate with your regional representatives or contact me on 07973719422 to share your experiences. I look forward to hearing from you.