BOA 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.

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, Chloe Scott, Research Committee, 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.

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.

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.

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.

BOA Virtual Courses

The BOA Training Orthopaedic Trainers (TOTs) course and the Training Orthopaedic Educational Trainers course are now running entirely online. Both courses are facilitated by the BOA Educational Advisor Lisa Hadfield-Law.

• Training Orthopaedic Trainers (TOTs)

Much of the work for TOTs can be done at a time, place and pace convenient to participants, with attendance at live virtual meetings to supplement personal learning. Learning is monitored through learning logs with written feedback from expert faculty. The V-TOTs course will last for approximately six weeks.

• BOA Virtual Training Orthopaedic Education Supervisors (V-TOES)

This nine-hour TOES programme is designed to help Educational Supervisors make the necessary changes so that the new T&O curriculum works for them and their trainees. Again it is taught through a mixture of live online sessions as well as personal learning outside of fixed times.

If you are interested in either course, find out more at www.boa.ac.uk/tots or www.boa.ac.uk/toes.

BOA holds ‘Law for orthopaedic surgeons’ course

In June we ran our first ever course to provide broad coverage of the interface between law and the practice of orthopaedic surgery. It was specifically designed to highlight potential pitfalls in practice from the medico-legal perspective and to help steer surgeons away from potential jeopardy.

Prior to the course day, video lectures on topics such as consent, gross negligence manslaughter and safe social media use were available for six weeks. Then a one-day virtual course day followed, when each faculty member explored their topic with delegates through case discussion and Q&A.

This initiative was coordinated by the BOA’s Medico-legal Committee, and has been a great success, with excellent feedback from delegates (100% would recommend to a colleague).

“As a new consultant the course made me feel better prepared for everyday decisions.”

Due to the popularity of this course, we intend to run this again in 2022. If you are interested, please keep an eye on our emails and courses webpage (www.boa.ac.uk/learning-and-events.html) for confirmed dates, and, in the words of an attendee: “DO IT! You won’t regret it.”

2022 BOA Future Leaders Programme

Applications for the next round of the popular Future Leaders Programme are now open and will close at 23:59pm 6th September.

To be eligible to take part in the programme, when the programme begins, you must be either:

• A senior trainee (ST8 or above)

• A newly appointed consultant (less than 3 years)

• An SAS Surgeon (FRCS Tr & Orth)

• A post-CCT Surgeon

More information on the FLP, the different application routes and how to apply can be found at: www.boa.ac.uk/flp.

UK and Ireland In-Training Examination (UKITE)

UKITE 2021 will run from 10th – 17th December 2021. Registrations will open later in the year and all participants should register by 30th November 2021 to access the exam.

BOA trainee members must ensure that their membership subscriptions are up to date to enable them to register for UKITE free of charge. Subscription payments must made no later than 31st October 2021.

Non-BOA members can register for UKITE for a fee of £150. Non-members wishing to join the BOA must apply for membership by the 30th September 2021 to be eligible for free UKITE registration in 2021.

Any participant wishing to register for UKITE 2021 after the registration deadline will attract an additional fee of £50. For more information see www.boa.ac.uk/ ukite or email ukite@boa.ac.uk.

BOA Travelling Fellowships

Applications for the 2021 BOA Travelling Fellowships will launch on 6th September and close 23:59pm 25th October 2021.

Every year, the BOA offers a number of Travelling Fellowships to its members. These fellowships offer a unique opportunity to visit centres of excellence to gain knowledge and experience. Historically we required these fellowships to be undertaken abroad, but we now are also welcoming applications from individuals wishing to visit one or more centres in the UK to give a broader range of options.

More information on the 2021 BOA Travelling Fellowships, including funding, how to apply, and instructions and advice, is on the BOA website at: www.boa.ac.uk/travelling-fellowships.

Queen’s Birthday Honours

The BOA would like to congratulate Professor Sir Keith Willett who was knighted in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to the NHS. Sir Keith has been a transformative clinical leader; as a Consultant trauma surgeon in Oxford, the first National Clinical Director for Trauma for England and latterly a series of high-profile roles at NHS England. For the T&O patients he was a prime mover in the advancement of care of the injured frail and the development of Major Trauma Centres. More generally as Medical Director for Acute Care & Emergency Preparedness with significant responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Congratulations Sir Keith!