15 July 2021
Our vision is to support members throughout their careers and champion the specialty as a whole so that people with rheumatological conditions receive the highest-quality care across all healthcare settings.
We can only achieve this by placing members at the heart of everything we do. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes with Vice President Jacqui Clinch and a team of consultants, allied health professionals (AHPs) and clinical nurse specialists (CNS’) to improve representation and opportunities for the paediatric and adolescent membership community over the last 12 months.
We’re delighted to have secured paediatric and adolescent representation across all committees and the Board following our autumn elections in 2020, and in early 2021, we created a roadmap to help focus on AHP’s including pharmacists and clinical nurse specialists.
Over the last six months, we’ve engaged with the community more than ever before to explore how to better support the personal and professional development needs of the paediatric and adolescent community.
We’ve reviewed our membership benefits and services to make sure they’re relevant and continue to provide real value and identified key opportunities for members (including CNS’ and AHPs) to get more involved, make a difference and support the wider community.
Where you can find paediatric and adolescent representation:
Board of Trustees
Responsible for setting the strategic direction of the society’s work and ensuring legal and financial duties are registered as a charity
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Jacqui Clinch, vice president (consultant, Bristol Royal Hospital), Clarissa Pilkington (consultant, Great Ormond Street Hospital [GOSH])
MDT Advisory Council
Responsible for local activity and support for members in all areas of the UK
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Polly Livermore (nurse, GOSH), Kathryn Harrison, who also acts as Communications Officer and is responsible for the paediatric and adolescent newsletter we send out (consultant, Birmingham Children's Hospital)
Education Committee
Responsible for promoting and facilitating good practice in all aspects of education, training and professional development
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Peter Bale (consultant, Addenbrooke's Hospital)
Clinical Affairs Committee
Responsible for addressing clinical practice in all aspects of rheumatology
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Penny Davis (consultant, Birmingham Women and Children's Hospital), Rachel Tattersall (consultant, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Sheffield Children's Hospital)
Trainees Committee
Responsible for promoting rheumatology as a specialty and supporting training needs
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Pam Dawson (locum consultant, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre)
Heberden Committee
Responsible for advancing knowledge and practice in rheumatology through annual scientific programme and facilitating prizes and awards
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Jo Walsh (consultant, Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow)
Standards, Audit and Guidelines Working Group
Responsible for formulating and implementing audit and guidelines strategies
Rheumatology Advances in Practice editorial board
Responsible for arranging peer review and making recommendations
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Polly Livermore, as above, who acts as Associate Editor
UK workforce task and finish group
Responsible for clinical insight into strategic workforce plans
Digital Learning Board
Set up to drive BSR’s online learning strategy
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Joanne May (consultant, Children's Hospital for Wales)
Physiotherapist working group
Set up to ensure BSR’s offering to the community and value of membership is communicated in the most meaningful way
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Verna Cuthbert (Royal Manchester Children's Hospital), Emily Mcintosh (Aberdeen Royal Infirmary), Ginny Ward (Bristol Royal Hospital)
Pharmacist focus group
Set up to ensure BSR’s offering to the community and value of membership is communicated in the most meaningful way
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Stephanie Smith (Addenbrooke's Hospital), Claire Nash (Sheffield Children's Hospital)
A huge thank you to members Corinne Fisher and Valerie Rogers, who stepped down from committee work at our 2021 AGM.
Working in paediatric and adolescent rheumatology and interested in finding out how you can get more involved in BSR activities and/or committee opportunities? Contact the membership team; we're particularly interested in hearing from AHPs/CNS' to ensure the wider MDT is fully represented within our community.
Get in touch