British Elbow and Shoulder Society 30th Annual Conference Glasgow 2018

Mr Brownson has just returned from the British Elbow & Shoulder Society Conference in Glasgow. This was the 30th anniversary of the inaugural BESS meeting and fittingly, that first meeting was also held in Glasgow.

Mr Brownson is the current president of the British Elbow & Shoulder Society.

The conference began on Tuesday 19th June with the second BESS Instructional course. The theme this year was Trauma of the Shoulder and Elbow and there were several national and international guest speakers, including Mr Brownson’s guest speaker, Mr Peter Millett, from the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado. The instructional course attracted 200 delegates and was the precursor for the main Conference which started on the following day.

The Conference was held in the Scottish Exhibition Centre and attracted approximately 800 delegates comprised mainly of surgeons and physiotherapists specialising in shoulder and elbow problems.

The conference commenced on Wednesday 20th June and, at the opening ceremony Mr Brownson was joined by the Deputy Lord Provost of Glasgow. Both he the Deputy Lord Provost were led into the meeting by a piper from the Scottish National Youth Pipe Band.

The Wednesday scientific sessions were followed by the BESS conference dinner, held in the Science Museum. As this was a special meeting for Society being the 30th anniversary, Mr Brownson was delighted to be joined by Professor Angus Wallace, Mr Ian Bayley, Mr Michael Watson and Mrs Jenny Copeland (wife of Mr Steven Copeland) who were the four founding members of the society. In addition they were joined by Mrs Helen Kelly (wife of Ian Kelly who was the organiser of the inaugural Glasgow BESS meeting).

In recognition of the anniversary, Mr Brownson presented a silver Quaich to each of the founding members.

The Thursday conference included a session on the history of the British Elbow and Shoulder Society. Mr Brownson gave a presentation with his vision for how the society might develop over the next 10 years.

On the Thursday evening Mr Brownson hosted the President’s Dinner, which was held at the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians in Glasgow. Mr Brownson was joined by past and present members of BESS council, together with the local organising committee and the Society’s guest speakers.

In honour of the event, Mr Millett and his son James turned up in full Highland dress – no mean feat for 2 residents of Colorado!