Latest News
Get involved at the BOA! The BOA is now holding its latest round of recruitment for a variety of different committee roles. This is your chance to use your skills and expertise to influence and input into the work of the BOA. If you have an interest in trauma and orthopaedics that you would like to pursue further as part of your national specialty body, the BOA needs you! We have exciting opportunities for BOA members who are Home Fellows or SAS surgeons to represent, lead and effect change across the trauma and orthopaedic profession.
Surveys on workforce, career intentions and waiting lists In July we ran two important surveys of the BOA membership and wider networks - one survey was of trainees and Post-CCT grades, and one for consultants and SAS surgeons, and both aimed to gain an insight into what the workforce looks like both now and for the future, particularly in the context of significant waiting lists. We have had an excellent response to these surveys, so a huge thank you to everyone who participated. At the time of this JTO going to press, the analysis is still underway, but do watch out for updates from us on this, which should be ready in time for the BOA Congress.
The BOA is committed to equality of access to a T&O career and to the services of the Association as per our Diversity Strategy we would particularly invite applications from underrepresented groups within the BOA. • Committees Would you like to be involved in the BOA with writing new BOAST guidance? Or help to review how our Research funding is used? We are recruiting for posts in the following four committees: Trauma, Orthopaedic, Research and Medico-legal. • UKITE Editorial Roles We have vacancies for UKITE Editors across all subspecialty areas. Editors play a key role in the continued success of UKITE by contributing and reviewing questions for the examination. You will gain experience in question authoring, editing and validation processes. Onboarding, support and best-practice guidance are provided throughout. For all vacancies see www.boa.ac.uk/getinvolved for more information and how to apply. One of last year’s recruits gave the following feedback on their experiences so far:
I really enjoy being part of the BOA Research Committee. It is a great opportunity to share ideas and learn from some of the most experienced orthopaedic researchers in the UK. Never has it been more important to our patients for us to advance the quantity and adoption of high quality orthopaedic evidence in the UK and to inspire the next generation of orthopaedic researchers. It is an honour to be part of the strategic planning to help facilitate this.
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Chloe Scott, Research Committee:
COVID-19, waiting lists and elective recovery At the time of writing, the UK nations are at varying stages in making final steps to release their respective lockdown rules. Case numbers of COVID are climbing, with hospitalisations also increasing after a slight lag time. The potential impact on elective surgery is as yet unknown; we are aware of certain areas where operating has been scaled back but we are aware of others that are less affected and are pulling out all the stops to keep going to tackle the backlog. All this is in the context of the longest waiting lists that have been seen this century and the urgent need to tackle these in order to deliver much-needed surgery to patients. The BOA is monitoring developments closely and will report further at Congress and on our website on these issues.
08 | JTO | Volume 09 | Issue 03 | September 2021 | boa.ac.uk
Dame Clare Marx Dame Clare Marx has announced she is stepping down as Chair of the General Medical Council for health reasons. Clare was President of the BOA (2008/2009), and was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the BOA in 2017. As a well-known member of the T&O community, we know many members will join us in sending very best wishes to her at this time.
New BOASTs published The BOA Trauma Committee has recently published two new BOASTs. • ‘Cervical Spine Clearance in the Trauma Patient’ - has been co-badged by BASS and the BSSR, and defines an early clinical and radiological pathway for patients with suspected cervical spine injury. • ‘Early Management of the Paediatric Forearm Fracture’ has been co-badged by BSCOS, OTS and the RCEM. This gives guidelines for early closed reduction by manipulation for forearm fractures, to avoid the need for admission and general anaesthesia. The BOA Orthopaedic Committee is also making final preparations on a new BOAST ‘The Safe Use of Intraoperative Tourniquets’, which will be launched soon. All BOASTs can be viewed at www.boa.ac.uk/BOASTs.
