Latest News

from Journal of Trauma & Orthopaedics - Vol 11 / Iss 3

Simon Hodkinson – Incoming President

BOA Educational Courses

The BOA runs a wide range of courses under the Education Committee. These courses cater to the educational needs of a wide range of members (and non-members in some cases) at all stages of their careers.

Training Orthopaedic Educational Supervisors (TOES)

This course is designed to help members prepare for the new curriculum and learn how to supervise trainees to be the very best they can be. For more information or to book, visit www.boa.ac.uk/toes.

Training Orthopaedic Trainers Course (TOTs)

This programme aims to improve the standard of teaching for those in T&O training and practice. If T&O trainers understand how people learn and how the T&O curriculum works, by translating that understanding into action, they should improve their teaching. Further information and to book, visit www.boa.ac.uk/tots.

Medico-legal Course - ‘Law for Orthopaedic Surgeons – Avoiding Jeopardy’

We have one remaining course date in 2023 on 7th November for this popular course specifically designed to highlight potential pitfalls in practice from the medico-legal perspective and to help steer surgeons away from potential jeopardy. Full details can be found at www.boa.ac.uk/law-for-orthopaedic-surgeons.

UK and Ireland In-Training Examination (UKITE)

UKITE 2023 will take place from 8th – 15th December. UKITE is an online mock examination that allows trainees and SAS surgeons to practice for section 1 of the FRCS Tr and Orth.

Registration is now open and is free for members before 30th November (£150 for non-members). All late registrations will attract a £50 fee.

Our Editors make UKITE possible by developing, reviewing and validating questions. Find out how to join the team at www.boa.ac.uk/ukite-editorial-role or e-mail ukite@boa.ac.uk.

Early Management of Paediatric Wrist and Forearm Fractures – BOAST implementation saves approximately 63 hours of trauma theatre over six months

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a re-emergence of non-operative management in trauma and orthopaedics to reduce the risk of transmission and reduce the operative and cost burden on healthcare systems. However, there is a wide disparity in clinical practice.

Following the implementation of trust guidelines in accordance with the BOAST recommendations at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 86% of cases were found to have primary fracture manipulation in the emergency department compared with 32% pre-pandemic, saving approximately 63 hours of trauma theatre time over six-months, reducing waiting times by avoiding unnecessary admissions and bringing some uniformity among the practitioners and departments. Read the full report here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37405130/.

All BOASTs can be found on the BOA website at www.boa.ac.uk/boasts.

Registration is now open for the next BOA Ortho Update Course. Designed for orthopaedic trainees at all levels and SAS surgeons, this updated course will give you the opportunity to access new understanding and support your preparation for the FRCS exam. Register now to secure your place!

Date: Saturday, 6th January 2024

Time: 8:30am to 5:00pm

Where: Etc Venues, 11 Portland St, Manchester, M1 3HU

The 2024 course will focus on ‘Exams and Examination’. It is a course of two halves. We are continuing with the popular critical condition CBDs. Along with talks from examiners, eg, ‘How the viva/clinical works’, ‘Taming the examiner’ and much more.

Real FRCS examiners will talk about how the exam is conducted and scored, along with some top tips for preparing and passing. You will hear about some trainee experiences of the exam, along with a chance to quiz the examiner!

Finally, the popular critical condition CBDs will return, which this year will cover diabetic foot and the ‘foot attack’, cauda equina syndrome, and the painful paediatric hip and spine. There will also be a return of the brilliant quick-fire trauma meeting called ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’, which will look at basic science of trauma, biomechanics and complications.

Use of phage therapy to treat joint infection

Use of phage therapy to treat a joint infection has been undertaken for the first time in the UK. Phage therapy is a viral cell-based treatment, which may offer a much needed solution in treating patients with multi-drug resistant infections. This is the first time it has been ever been used in the UK, other than topically. The patient concerned is doing well and their wound has now healed for the first time in seven months. The team from NHS Tayside’s orthopaedic department will publish more detailed results in the upcoming December issue of the JTO.

The BOA has produced a BOAST on Primary Joint Infection, which is available on the BOA website at www.boa.ac.uk/boasts.

Final report of Elective Recovery Taskforce

The final report of Elective Recovery Taskforce was published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in August. While media headlines concentrated on the continuing rollout of community diagnostic centres, the essence of the implementation plan is to maximise the use of all NHS assets and available independent sector capacity, and to empower patient choice.

Patients will be actively offered a shortlist of a minimum of five providers, where clinically appropriate, and patients are able to see provider quality, waiting time and distance to travel in My Planned Care.

From the end of October 2023, all patients who have waited more than 40 weeks without having had their first outpatient appointment will be able to initiate a request to transfer to another provider. The ‘ambition’ is to expand this solution to further long-wait cohorts in future, depending on the level of uptake and impact on clinical capacity.

Subject to the Parliamentary timetable, revised patient choice legislation will establish the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) to ensure that provider qualification criteria are used more consistently and make clear the circumstances under which NHS England and ICBs must offer a contract to providers that meet the qualification criteria.

Under the PSR, DHSC and NHS England intend to introduce an independent panel, which will review compliance with patient choice and PSR requirements. This panel will, when required, provide advice to commissioners to assist with improving compliance where necessary.

Link to full guidance: www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-recovery-taskforce-implementation-plan/elective-recovery-taskforce-implementation-plan.