British Medical Ultrasound Society Annual Scientific Meeting Manchester December 2006

Table of Contents

As usual the British Medical Ultrasound Society held its Annual Scientific Meeting just before Christmas. This was the 3rd successive meeting in Manchester so that delegates were very familiar with the venue. Whilst the format of the meeting over 3 days and with 3 and sometimes 4 parallel sessions has been established for a number of years, the content of the meeting has evolved steadily with far fewer proffered papers than perhaps 10 years ago but more invited speakers. The reasons for this are clear in that less workers are submitting high quality proffered papers, probably due to diminishing availability of resources in the UK for ultrasound research. The quality of the meeting has however continued to improve, attracting many high profile speakers from all areas of ultrasound to contribute. The meeting therefore continues to provide a very valuable update in recent advances in ultrasound for all those involved in the field. Involvement with groups of clinicians who use ultrasound as a working tool has also helped to improve the meeting and encourage those for whom ultrasound is a relatively small part of their working life to learn more about it. There is no doubt that the parallel extensive industrial exhibition helps to attract these people to view the technology as well as the clinical applications.

Amongst the highlights this year were debates on the subject of "Can the NHS continue to afford the 20 week fetal anomaly scan" and the very controversial subject of the training of non imaging specialists to undertake ultrasound. These two debates both involved the audience voting both before the debate and afterwards and were very lively. Amazingly the second debate on training resulted in an exactly even vote for each side.

Perhaps the most interesting and innovative session was the one entitled "Ultrasound in Unusual Places" involving a lecture from a Royal Navy Radiologist involved in the war in Iraq, a speaker from NASA talking about ultrasound in space and the use of ultrasound on the international space station and finally a talk about ultrasound at the zoo from an ultrasound specialist from Berlin Zoo.

The social events met a very high standard although the evening at the Hard Rock Café reached new heights in the audible sound levels produced by a band such that any form of communication between delegates ceased as soon as the band started. This was however more than made up for by the Annual Dinner in Manchester Town Hall which was again of the highest quality with a Disco which even this reviewer found sufficiently attractive to encourage him to take to the floor.

Next year the Society moves back to Harrogate again for a change of scenery. As before the Society is always very welcoming to delegates from all parts of the world and those who have not been before would find the science and educational value of the meeting very high. I know I am very biased but having been to big international ultrasound meetings on three Continents this year, I can say that undoubtedly BMUS can compete very favourably with all these meetings in terms of quality of educational value and socially is also as attractive as any.

Dr David Pilling

Editor EFSUMB Newsletter