BCS Annual Conference 2018 - By Dr. Lucie Pearce

I was pleased to receive a bursary to present at the BCS Annual Conference, of which this year’s theme was ‘high performing teams’. Manchester provided an excellent surrounding for three days of updates of interest to all Specialties within Cardiology. As a new Porsche was rolled out to the exhibition hall; it was clear that this year’s programme would be diverse & innovative.

The conference opened with a dynamic lecture from Dr. Doug Gurr, Country Manager of Amazon UK. This discussed strategies in managing a large organisation, whilst facilitating team performance. It was suggested that managing patient expectation in the current NHS climate is not unlike that of the consumer within the social sector.

Monday was also Trainees’ day which began with a case -based session on the management of NSTEMI from a highly experienced panel. The discussion prompted further debate on the use of multi-modality imaging within this setting which was relevant as a current DGH trainee; where most patients present in this manner. There was also a wide range of ‘hot topics’ available to us including the use of CMR in Cardiomyopathy, mechanical support in cardiogenic shock & therapeutic recommendations in heart failure.

As the Thomas-Lewis lecture presenter, Professor Pamela Douglas bought Monday’s program to a close with insights from the PROMISE & SCOT-HEART trials. The lecture discussed the role of further CT Coronary Angiography in stable chest pain with low risk features, above other functional modalities.

Day Two
Tuesday morning opened with a highly relevant work-shop on ECG interpretation. The cases were challenging & this was valuable to gain further experience into complex arrhythmia management as a non-EP trainee. A variable range of hot topic sessions continued throughout Tuesday including updates on ‘Revascularisation in severe LVSD’, ‘High sensitivity troponins – a step too far?’ & ‘What to do in VT storm.’ I was able to attend the simulation village & gain further experience into the interpretation of MPS which was utilisable for our curriculum. Other simulation opportunities for trainees included CTCA, Pacing, CMR & angiography/PCI.

The new Drs' Mess available within the exhibition hall provided an opportunity to catch up with other trainees & digest a multitude of information. Tuesday was brought to a close with the annual BCS lecture which was delivered by Professor Martin Cowie. This year’s theme was ‘From evidence to implementation – does it need to take 20 years?’ This thought provoking lecture tied in with the overall topic of the conference & Medicine in an advancing digital age.

Day Three
Wednesday came around very quickly with many further highlights b. Professor Jane Dacre the current President of the RCP joined a panel of other influential speakers to discuss the role of women within Cardiology & further the gender pay discussion. Wednesday was also ‘Patients day’ & there was a focus on patient safety with the innovations lecture which also focused on the integrated team. In the afternoon I attended the Acute Coronary Syndromes poster section to present the results of an abstract entitled ‘PPCI in a setting of OOHCA – should all patients undergo immediate Angiography?’. It was great experience to display this to a wider audience and to receive the feedback from the discussion which followed.

Many thanks again for providing me with this opportunity. The BCS conference was once again a rich learning experience as a trainee & a highly enjoyable 3 days.

Information on how BCS members can apply for support to attend conferences can be found on the Travel Bursaries page