A message from the President of RCSI

6 February 2025

Dear Fellows and Members,

I am writing to you today from the 2025 RCSI Charter Day Meeting. There has been a great turnout so far with a real buzz around our campus.

In the coming weeks, I will share a full report on all the Charter Day activities in a special edition of our Surgical Bulletin. For now, however, I will update you on the meeting so far as well as drawing your attention to a few events for surgical Fellows and Members happening later this month and next.

As you know, over this two-year Council term, RCSI is exploring issues around best practice in surgical clinical governance.

Prof. Barry McGuire FRCSI, Professor of Postgraduate Surgical Education and Academic Development established and chairs the National Robotic Surgery Leads Group, to guide RCSI in the rapidly evolving field of robotic surgery.

Yesterday evening, I was delighted to launch their first publication, a Guide to Good Practice for Robotic Surgery Governance in Ireland. The guidance is a direct response to a national stakeholder survey of surgeons in Ireland in which the vast majority of respondents highlighted a strong desire for clearer regulation, supervision, and guidance in the use of robotic systems.

The publication provides a blueprint for training, credentialing, and governance to help hospitals implement robotic surgery safely and effectively. Importantly, the guidance distinguishes between hospitals that are in the early stages of developing a robotic surgery programme and those that already have an established robotic programme.

A key recommendation relates to the establishment of a Robotic Surgery Governance Committee (RSGC) to ensure consistency in oversight, training and governance across all hospitals and specialties. The focus of the RSGC is on making recommendations in relation to training and safety, being supportive of surgical innovation while ensuring that patient safety remains central.

The RSGC is envisaged as being hospital-based and integrated into existing surgical governance structures, with the aim being to place surgeons and their patients at the very centre by fostering surgical autonomy and enhancing patient safety. It is an important safeguard for surgeons and patients at a time of rapid technological change.

I would like to acknowledge and thank the members of RCSI’s National Robotic Surgery Leads Group, listed below, for their work. My thanks also to the team in the Department of Surgical Affairs for their support of this project.

Membership of the National Robotic Surgery Leads Group is as follows:

  • Prof. Barry McGuire, Professor of Postgraduate Surgical Education and Academic Development RCSI (Urology Representative, Committee Chair)
  • Prof. Kevin Barry, Director of National Surgical Training Programmes
  • Ms Dara O’Keeffe, Simulation Lead in Postgraduate Surgical Education
  • Ms Christina Fleming, General Surgery Representative
  • Mr Gary Fitzmaurice, Cardiothoracic Surgery Representative
  • Mr Ruaidhrí McVey, Gynaecological Surgery Representative
  • Mr Tom Moran, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery
  • Mr Fiachra Rowan, Orthopaedic Surgery Representative
  • Mr Emeka Okereke, Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs Manager, RCSI
  • Ms Megan Power Foley, President ISTG and Trainee Representative

Robotic Learning Village

Following the publication of the Guide to Good Practice for Robotic Surgery Governance in Ireland and in keeping with the ‘Next Generation Surgery’ theme of Charter 2025, RCSI hosts its first-ever Robotic Learning Village today and tomorrow.

The Robotic Learning Village is an immersive hands-on experience featuring five robotic platforms, including the daVinci SP (Single Port), Hugo Robot, Versius Robot, Mako SmartRobotics and the VELYS Orthopaedic Robot. The robots are front and centre this week, situated on the Ground Floor of 26 York Street and already eliciting interest from passers-by. Access to the Robotic Learning Village is restricted to registrants at the Charter Day meetings, available by pre-booking only.

My thanks to our corporate partners – Intuitive Surgical, Medtronic, CMR Surgical, Tekno Surgical and Johnson & Johnson – for providing the robots as well as to several Departments and individuals in RCSI, including Padraig Kelly, Eilish Corcoran and Aoife Mahon, for ensuring this historic first at Charter 2025.

NOCA update

We have had a fantastic turn out so far for the 2025 Charter Meeting. Since Tuesday, hundreds of healthcare practitioners including surgical Fellows and Members have attended a variety of talks and workshops as well as connecting with each other.

The programme commenced on Tuesday with the annual National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA) conference, delivered to a full house in the Desmond Lecture Theatre. The theme for this year’s conference was 'Data-Driven Healthcare: Planning, Delivering, Improving'. We were really pleased to have Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer of the HSE, chair the morning sessions, which included a keynote from Prof. Juliana Chan, Director, Hong Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity. She shared her experiences on how data can change how the healthcare system works.

In the afternoon, Prof. Ingrid Wolfe, Professor of Paediatrics and Child Population Health at King’s College London, delivered the second keynote of the day, focusing on Paediatric Population Health and measures to improving clinical outcomes for children and young people.

A particularly interesting aspect of the conference was the inclusion of different perspectives such as the parent voice, which was captured in a talk by parent, Rebecca Maher who shared her daughter Matilda’s experience, and the impact on their family, with attendees.

Another element was the presentation of the four projects that were shortlisted for the NOCA Quality Improvement Champion Award. The winning project, which was announced at the end of the day, focused on Improving Prescribing Accuracy of PRN Medications for Haematology/Oncology Patients and was presented by Dr Nessa Keane, Registrar in Palliative Medicine, Galway University Hospital.

I want to acknowledge the presenters, session chairs and the whole team at NOCA for delivering a fantastic programme to a packed audience.

Health Service Improvement and Innovation

Charter Meeting 2025 continued yesterday with Annual Health Service Quality Improvement and Innovations conference, which was hosted by the RCSI-based National Clinical Programmes in Surgery, Trauma and Orthopaedics, and Emergency Medicine.

Prof. Eamonn Rogers FRCSI, Co-Lead of the National Clinical Programme in Surgery welcomed attendees to the conference, which explored innovative models of care delivery in surgery, ambulatory care, emergency medicine and radiology.

The conference also provided specialty-focused updates from the National Clinical Programmes clinical leads and advisors including emergency medicine, paediatric surgery, plastic surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery and cardiothoracic surgery. We also received a progress report from Charlie Dineen on the National Perioperative Patient Pathway Enhancement Programme about his team’s work with operating theatre teams around the country to support local change. He was joined by David Mulvin FRCSI from St Vincent's University Hospital who championed the work in his hospital.

A special highlight of this year’s event was the lunchtime 'Educational Marketplace', an interactive learning experience that proved popular. The marketplace is not about selling products but instead about offering knowledge and provided delegates with hands-on interactions with topic experts. Yesterday’s marketplace consisted of a small number of ‘stalls’, in which subject matter experts presented content on a well-defined area of importance to delegates within the specialty.

The RCSI Clinical Programmes marketplace had several stalls and experts in wide range of areas, including - endovascular simulation; the operation of a virtual ward; how to have a success podcast; Solus – the new endoscopy reporting system software; eTrauma software; and optimising theatre effectiveness. Delegates really enjoyed the opportunity to connect in small groups and ask questions of the experts at each stall.

The conference concluded with ‘lightning’ talks featuring seven healthcare quality improvement projects across multiple surgical specialties. Among the topics presented were an integrated specialised continence care pathway, the implementation of a radiographer-led PICC insertion service, the development of a standardised rib fracture pathway for trauma units as well as an integrated leg ulcer clinic. Each 'lightning' talk consisted of six slides presented in six minutes and showcased the breadth of innovation in healthcare quality improvements that are taking place in hospitals across the country.

The National Clinical Programmes based at RCSI are an important part of how our College engages with the health service and ensures that the clinical voice is heard. I wish to extend my congratulations to all who organised and participated in the conference, as well as to the Clinical Leads and National Clinical Programme team who put a huge amount of time and effort into their work, year-round.

Annual Videosurgery Meeting

In the coming days, we expect over 600 Members and Fellows, surgical trainees, NCHDs and researchers to attend for the remainder of Charter Meeting 2025.

Surgical and biomedical innovation is at the heart of this year’s programme. On Thursday and Friday, we will hear from world leaders from Stanford, MIT and the Cleveland Clinic, as well as from experts closer to home.

Our Thursday session, Training for the Shift to Robotic Surgery, will highlight the evolution and delivery of robotic surgery training across all stages of the surgical career while this year’s Johnson & Johnson lecturer, Professor Carla Pugh, will focus on the role of wearable technology and AI, showing how surgeons can use these tools to improve their practice.

We will hold an important session on 'Best Practice in Clinical Governance' with expert speakers from Ireland, the UK and the US, culminating in the 32nd Carmichael Lecture, Trust and Truth in Healthcare by the distinguished Cork academic, Professor Deirdre Madden MRIA.

I am also delighted to welcome our Early Career Surgeons Network for their inaugural Charter Day session, showcasing the achievements of surgeons in the early years of independent practice.

Our week will finish with what promises to be a thought-provoking session from the Irish Surgical Training Group on the future of surgical leadership in our health service.

A number of important milestones occur during this Charter Week. I extend my congratulations to Prof. Tom Walsh FRCSI who will host the 35th Annual Videosurgery Meeting on Thursday evening. The 25th anniversary of our sister surgical college, COSECSA, will be celebrated in Past President Declan Magee’s lecture entitled A Tale of Two Colleges.

Finally, a very special centenary will take place on Friday afternoon when the 100th Abraham Colles Lecture is delivered by Professor Fergal J. O’Brien, RCSI Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation, entitled 'From Colles’ Fracture to Gene-activated Biomaterials – A Journey Through Tissue Engineering at RCSI', and is sure to be a highlight of this year’s meeting.

Looking ahead

Before I sign off for another month, may I draw your attention to several events for Fellows and Members that are taking place soon.

The Sylvester O’Halloran Perioperative Symposium will take place in Limerick from Thursday, 27 February to Saturday, 1 March. There is a great line up of masterclasses, plenary sessions and lectures that will be of interest to all specialties.

The Fellows and Members Team are planning several social events in the coming months, including a rugby watch party, which will take place in RCSI on Saturday, 15 March to coincide with the final day of the Six Nations. Registration will open in mid-February, and I encourage you to book early as tickets are limited.

Finally, the first Lunchtime Talk of 2025 will also take place in March 2025. The team are delighted to welcome Mr Tim Horgan FRCSI to the Albert Lecture Theatre on Friday, 21 March to present on 'The Eyes of Ireland: How Eye Diseases have Shaped the Literary, Cultural and Political History of Ireland'. As part of his lecture you can expect Mr Horgan to touch on a variety of saints, scholars and sinners who had conditions ranging from squints to trachoma.

I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming days and at these forthcoming events.

Kind regards, 

Professor Deborah McNamara
President, RCSI


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