UK and Irish Societies come together to showcase respiratory medicine in Belfast

On Friday 28 March, over 200 respiratory healthcare professionals from across the UK and Ireland attended the Spring Meeting at the Europa Hotel in Belfast. 

This one-day conference, a collaboration between the British Thoracic Society (BTS), Irish Thoracic Society (ITS) and Ulster Thoracic Society (UTS), offered a wonderful opportunity to highlight innovations and best practice from across the multidisciplinary respiratory team.

Conference presenters covered a wide range of respiratory conditions and highlighted developments in data, treatments and service delivery. Topics included occupational asthma, bronchiectasis, pleural services, lung cancer screening, lung transplantation and the digital transformation of sleep pathways.

The three Societies were also delighted to welcome Professor Silke Ryan, President of the European Respiratory Society, who spoke about the challenges of improving global respiratory health and emphasised the importance of a collaborative approach to achieve improvements.

A key aspect of the conference was to celebrate excellence in respiratory medicine and research, and clinicians were invited to submit a case study for consideration prior to the event. The top three authors were invited to present their findings to conference delegates and compete for the Best Case Study Oral Presentation Award.

The overall winner was: Dr Katherine Aiken from the Belfast Trust for her case study on an Airline Pilot with Hypoxia.
The runners-up were: Dr Kate Hinchion, St. James’s Hospital Dublin and Dr Hira Gul, University Hospital Limerick.

The Conference also provided the chance to engage with a wide range of industry exhibitors and to network with other members at a drinks reception and dinner.

The positive delegate feedback confirmed the benefits of sharing insights and learning, and BTS, ITS and UTS look forward to organising similar events in the future.