The Royal College of Surgeons of England

We’ve postponed the planned launch of our new database and finance systems. You can therefore continue to access our website and systems as normal. Once confirmed, we will share advance notice of our new launch date to help you plan for any future downtime.

What if a breath test could help detect gastrointestinal cancer earlier, faster and more accurately than current pathways allow? July's #Bulletin looks at the research by the Hanna Group at Imperial College London. Their pioneering work in breath-based diagnostics is reshaping our thinking about early cancer detection. Can it work? Comment below 👇 https://ow.ly/fMzk50WpUlf

Call for case studies 📣 Are you a dental surgeon who has treated patients under 18 who required tooth extraction due to excessive consumption of high-sugar, milk-based drinks? We are seeking case studies for our media work and would love to hear from you. Case studies can be anonymous. If you would like to share your experience, please get in touch with our Press Office 📩 pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk

Scarlet Nazarian, aka TheFemaleSurgeon, is smashing the stereotype of what it looks like to be a surgeon. She’s shown how social media can be used to bust health myths, advocate for evidence-based information and show what balance really looks like as a mother and a surgical trainee. Scarlet will join us at Women at the Cutting Edge to share her journey as a health content creator and surgical trainee. Her session will be a refreshing take on what a surgeon “should” be and the surprising power of social media in healthcare. 17 October | Birmingham and online Book your flexible ticket now: https://ow.ly/qSKG50Wvbic

As part of our transfer to a new database, our site will be fully offline from tomorrow evening (Tuesday, 29 July). However, some systems, such as exam and course booking, will be unavailable from the morning. We hope to have everything running again as soon as possible, but the database and our website may be offline until Wednesday 6 August. For more information: https://ow.ly/nF1E50Wt6qa

RCS England Co-Chair of Sustainability in Surgery, Andrew Stevenson, has recently conducted a pilot study at his hospital in Taunton, replacing single-use plastic theatre hats with washable ones. The initiative has been highly successful and is now established as the new standard. The chosen hats also feature detachable, washable name badges, which have greatly improved communication and civility in the theatre environment. Credit to: Eco Ninjas, Danielle Checketts, Martin Davidson and J&J MedTech UK & IRL.

Global Surgical Frontiers 2025 is your chance to be part of the conversation shaping the future of global surgical care. You’ll hear from global experts, connect with others passionate about health equity and leave with fresh insight and ideas you can put into practice. Members receive over 50% off any ticket type. Find out more and book your place for Friday 10 October at our London HQ or online: https://ow.ly/hAGE50WvRGU

Maintenance work ahead 🚧 We are soon transferring to a new database that will improve how you interact with us. To prepare for the transition, our website and existing systems will be offline from the evening of Tuesday 29 July. We hope to have everything running again as soon as possible, but the database and our website may be offline until Wednesday 6 August. For more information: https://ow.ly/nF1E50Wt6qa

A low-risk breast symptom shouldn’t delay the assessment of a high-risk one. July's #Annals examines the evaluation of a new “blue flag clinic” pathway, first run at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, to help trusts meet 2-week wait targets while safely managing patients whose symptoms fall outside urgent cancer criteria. Does the model work, and can it help trusts improve their urgent suspected cancer performance? Read more: https://ow.ly/7G4S50Wj3e5

Retired surgeon Professor Meirion Thomas' claim that patients are struggling to get GP appointments because "too many women are doctors" is unfounded and insulting. By encouraging women into the medical profession, we have increased the supply and expertise of available doctors. Patients' problems accessing healthcare are related to the underfunding of our health service versus the huge growth in care needs. Women make vital contributions across every area of healthcare, including general practice and surgery, delivering high-quality care to patients every day. Supporting work-life flexibility - which not all women want or need to take advantage of - is vital for attracting the brightest and the best into medicine. We are proud to support a diverse and inclusive medical workforce. We remain committed to championing gender equity and ensuring that surgery, and more broadly medicine, is a welcoming, supportive and rewarding career for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity or background. Professor Meirion Thomas does not currently have a licence to practise medicine. - Miss Felicity Meyer, Chair of the Women in Surgery (WinS) Forum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England More from the Independent: https://ow.ly/jja650WuN1E