An invitation to a
NATIONAL ONE-DAY SYMPOSIUM

Neurosurgical Management of Battlefield Injuries


Thursday 6th November 2008
Venue: Rugby School, Rugby

We are all very aware of the current conflicts in Iraq & Afghanistan and the involvement of our military personnel in these theatres of battle. Whatever your views about the political wisdom, or otherwise, of this country’s military engagements overseas, you will certainly agree that the young men & women who serve in the armed forces deserve nothing other than the very best that we can offer, when it comes to treating the injuries that they sustain whilst on active service.

In the 21st century, those who are wounded in battle do receive a high standard of care in the field, during evacuation and in forward hospitals. Often such casualties have received adequate and definitive neurosurgical treatment before they return to the UK. Remaining treatment may then consist of little more than providing a base for repatriation of injured personnel, prior to their transfer on for further rehabilitation. In other cases NHS staff become a little more involved, carrying out further neurosurgical procedures. At other times neurosurgical staff may be called upon to offer telephone advice to non-specialist surgical teams, who are treating the injured in field hospitals abroad.

Whilst many of us are aware of the general principles of management of military wounds, few hospital staff have any direct experience in this field. Practices also change and it is important that our treatment methods are kept up to date. To this end, a one day symposium is being held in Rugby, on 6th November 2008. This event is intended to benefit NHS staff who are called upon to treat military personnel who have sustained neurosurgical injuries in combat. A series of talks will be given by military and civilian experts, from the UK and abroad, tracing the care pathway of the patient, from the moment of injury, through to completion of their rehabilitation. We will be able to identify, in particular, the role of a neurosurgical team in the injured person’s care and to see just where we all fit into the overall patient journey.

We believe that many NHS staff will take a keen interest in the management of this particular category of neurotrauma. Even for those not working closely with military units, it is important to have a basic understanding of the nature and the principles of treatment of battlefield injuries. This is especially so when we consider that civilians may also become victims of terrorist bombs, on home soil. Some NHS staff may be sufficiently inspired to consider offering their services, if only on a temporary basis, to military surgical units.

The November symposium is open to any member of a department of neurosurgery but is also likely to be of interest to other members of hospital staff, including anaesthetists, intensive care staff, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and trauma teams. Some maxillofacial surgeons, head and neck surgeons and plastic surgeons may also wish to attend.

For full programme and speakers, see below.

If you would like to register then please click here to download a registration form.


Graham Flint
Consultant Neurosurgeon
Surgeon Captain Mark Midwinter
Professor of Defence Medicine
Royal Centre for Defence Medicine

Provisional Programme and Speakers


08.30: Registration. Coffee Speaker
08.50 Introduction Graham Flint
09.00: History of military neurosurgery Peter Stanworth
09.30: Mechanisms & patterns of injury Mark Midwinter
10.00: Immediate battlefield management Mark Sheridan
10.30: UK field hospital neurosurgery - I Colin Shieff
11.00: Coffee
11.30: UK field hospital neurosurgery - II Ronan Dardis *
12.00: Royal Navy neurosurgery Richard Ashpole
12.30: Repatriation: the role of CCAST TBA
13.00: Lunch
14.00: US military experience Jim Ecklund
15.00: UK NHS surgical experience Guy Wynne-Jones
15.30: Early rehabilitation measures Hannah Farrell
16.00: Long term rehabilitation Alan Mistlin
16.30: Discussion
17.00: Close of meeting

* for Martin Christie

If you would like to register then please click here to download registration form.

Speakers


Colonel Peter Stanworth,
Defence Consultant Advisor in Neurosurgery
Captain Mark Midwinter,
Professor of Military Surgery, Centre for Defence Medicine, Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham
Mark Sheridan,
Consultant Anaesthetist,
Colin Shieff
Consultant Neurosurgeon, Royal Free Hospital, London
Ronan Dardis
Consultant Neurosurgeon, University Hospital, Coventry
Richard Ashpole
Consultant Neurosurgeon, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham
Colonel James Ecklund,
Professor of Surgery, Uniformed Services University, USA.
Mr Guy Wynne-Jones
Consultant Neurosurgeon, Newcastle General Hospital
Hannah Farrell
Neurophysiotherapist, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham
Colonel Alan Mistlin
Director, Headley Court Rehabilitation Centre


Battlefield Injuries Care Foundation Ltd
33 Southam Road, Dunchurch • Rugby • Warwickshire • CV22 6NL
Tel: 07973 860323 • Fax: 01788 569996 • Email: enquiries@bicf.org.uk • www.bicf.org.uk
President: Lord Henry Kitchener
Trustees: Surgeon Captain M J Midwinter MD FRCS, Defence Professor of Surgery
Graham Flint, Consultant Neurosurgeon • Anthony A Kember, Chief Executive & Chairman