ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø has over four thousand members drawn from the ranks of physicians, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, scientists, nurses, dietitians, and others interested in the field.
Founded in 1937 it has grown from a club to be a major force in British medicine, with representation within the British Royal Colleges and consequently the Department of Health and Government.
ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø
The ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø is intimately involved in all aspects of training of British gastroenterology and to original research in the field. Research is supported indirectly through the promotion of high standards and offering platforms for scientific presentation and publication, and directly through substantial financial contributions to the Society's affiliated charity, Guts UK. The ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø co-owns three journals. Gut is Europe's highest-ranked gastroenterology journal, by citation-related impact factor, and the Society's oldest title. Frontline Gastroenterology focuses on clinical aspects of gastroenterology. The newest addition to the portfolio is the open-access journal Open Gastroenterology. The Society regularly produces clinical guidelines on aspects of contemporary practice.
The Society also delivers education through online education resources, a comprehensive events programme, and runs an at which hundreds of original papers are presented alongside more than 70 hours of educational symposia and hands on training, which attracts an audience of around 2500 each year.
While the Society exists for the promotion of the discipline it is not itself able to provide medical advice or to recommend individual practitioners. Prospective patients are advised to consult their own medical advisers for medical advice.
Governance
The Executive Committee is responsible for the day to day running of the Society and is supported by the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø Office. The role of elected council members is to ensure good governance and to ensure that members’ views are considered in any decisions. The Council is assisted by five higher committees, and fifteen section committees.
The role of the Board of Trustees is to ensure good governance, and adherence to the rules of the Charity Commission. The Board of Trustees comprises both medical and lay trustees.
Positions within ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø committees are filled through an election, or for senior officer posts, through competitive interviews. Learn more about the governance, strategy and structure of the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø through the links below.
The history of the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø
The ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø (ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø) was founded in 1937 by Sir Arthur Hurst as a Gastroenterological Club with just 36 members. Sir Arthur Hurst became the first President. At that time, its objectives were described as the advancement of gastroenterology and promotion of friendship amongst those who have special interest in the disorders of the alimentary tract. In 1938, T L Hardy was elected Secretary and it is to him that a greater part of the success of the club is due.
The organisation grew steadily and 2 years later it numbered 100 members. In 1949, it was renamed the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø. From the beginning, it was involved with other international societies, but it wasn't until 1952 after the Second World War that the proposed international meeting among these societies became a reality. In 1956, it acted as host at the fifth meeting of the Association of the National European and Mediterranean Societies of Gastro-Enterology, which was attended by over 800 visitors and delegates from around the world.
In 1948, a proposal was put forward to establish a British Journal of Gastroenterology which published medical papers, but it wasn't until 1960 that this became a reality with the first publication of the Journal 'Gut'.
The first meeting of the British Society for Digestive Endoscopy was held in 1972 following the Spring Meeting of the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø. Over 100 members of the BSDE and ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø attended. Both societies maintained strong links, and during the 1980s, the British Society for Digestive Endoscopy was incorporated into the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø. The incorporation of the BSDE also accelerated the growth of the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø into a wider membership as there were nurses, radiographers, technicians and others involved in the practice of clinical endoscopy. To this day, the Endoscopy section of the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø remains a very strong section of the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø.
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Until 2011, there was a separate parallel organisation, Trainees in Gastroenterology (TiG), which for over 20 years, was the national representative organisation for registrars in the UK. It helped shape specialty training in the UK and provided a national forum for networking amongst trainees. It had strong links with the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø, with representation on the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø Council, and organised symposia at the Annual Meeting. In 2011, constitutional reform in the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø formalised the formation of the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø Trainees Section, along with Trainee representation on all committees.