http://www.imi.org.uk IMI - News Feed RSS en Thu, 17 May 2012 16:44:33 +0100 ]]> Professor Peter George Cull MBE, FMAA, Hon FIMI, OBSt.J (1927 – 2012) Emeritus Professor of Medical Art, University of London This is a concise but presently essential version of the tribute to Peter Cull that is forthcoming in the Journal of Visual Communication in Medicine. For that reason, I will remark on Peter Cull, the outstanding and capable human, rather than cataloguing minutely for the meantime all his achievements and distinctions, immense though they were. We lost Peter to critical illness on Tuesday 1st May. We offer our most sincere and heartfelt condolences to Mrs Bettine Cull and the entire family on this sad occasion. It is an honour and privilege to be asked to write this homily. It is a sad duty though, mixed with the incredulity always felt when a person of so much charisma and joie de vivre is snatched away. Peter was an intellectual giant; a man of consummate vision and creativity with enormous personal integrity and discretion. I was fortunate to be able to experience this pre-eminence first hand when I worked with him. The esteem with which he was held among academic and medical staff at Barts Hospital Medical College was palpable. He ranked among the most senior staff in the College and contributed importantly to its life. He had powerful convictions of what was right. In his more than thirty years at Barts, he subtly advised a succession of deans. The calibre of staff in his department bore witness to his professionalism. The highest compliment I can pay him is that I willingly relinquished my head of department position at another hospital in order to join him as his deputy, so that I could relish his philosophies closely and join the kind of department I had always wanted mine to be. It must not be overlooked that, over forty years ago Peter Cull, the forward thinker, was a founder member of The Institute of Medical and Biological Illustration, the precursor of IMI, after the Brynmor Jones Report had indicated a need to recognise professionals engaging in the (then) new sphere of educational technology in British higher education. It is easy to detect in this Peter’s prescience for an inclusive professional body. In another direction, his part was crucial in securing the patronage of The Worshipful Company of Barbers for the Medical Artists’ Association of Great Britain—a prodigious ‘feather in the cap’ for them all. Another manifestation of his conspicuous insight was that medical illustrators at large needed a self-regulatory body (in the absence of state registration) as assurance of their professional standing and for their own protection. Springing from this was the scheme of national registration, culminating in the formation of CAMIP—now held in such high regard—that enjoys the support of five senior royal colleges in medicine; all this of Peter’s own devising. Together, we developed a policy for written, informed consent for patients undergoing clinical illustrative recording that underlies today’s good practice protocols. The apogee of his accomplishments was the award of a national honour coincidentally with attainment of a personal chair in medical art at the University of London. He was an avuncular, warm, amusing and erudite figure who nurtured many grateful students. The tributes to him that I am receiving to help me write this eulogy characterise him as a much-loved friend, teacher and inspirational man. One such message says, “…such sad news; like you, I regarded him with great affection and I have to say that he was the biggest influence on me during my early years. I am saddened to hear that he was so poorly, as he was one of those people in our lives, so large a character, [that]I imagined would live forever and be sparky till his end.” And another, “He will be missed by so many, as a much respected professional and dear and cherished friend.” There can be no more lustrous testimonies than these. Cedric GilsonMay 2012]]> Vision-research.eu: 4th Picture Competition in Vision Research & Ophthalmology Send us your best photo to illustrate the fascination of clinical and basic research in ophthalmology and win attractive prizes. The topic of the competition is "The Best Photo in Vision Research and Ophthalmology". The photography may therefore illustrate all topics in the field of Ophthalmology & Vision Research. Be creative! Photo Competition from April 11 to May 31, 2012 "The Best Photo in Vision Research and Ophthalmology" 1st Prize:    750,00 Euro2nd Prize:    500,00 Euro3rd Prize:     250,00 Euro Submit your photo It's just that simple: Fill in our Photo Competition online form and submit it! Competition Rules In taking part in the EuroVisionNet Photo Competition 2010, you agree to the competition rules. Get more information here! In cooperation with Heidelberg Engineering is a high tech medical device company which designs, manufactures, and distributes diagnostic instruments for eye care professionals.  The company’s products are used around the world by ophthalmologists and optometrists to scan patients’ eyes for signs of disease and to assist in the management of patients found to have disease.  Early recognition of disease helps to delay and prevent the most common causes of blindness. www.heidelbergengineering.com]]> Originally established by The Royal Photographic Society in October 1957, in collaboration with the Royal College of Physicians of London, the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Combined Royal Colleges Medal is awarded for an outstanding contribution to photography and/or its application in the service of medicine and surgery.  The award is selected by a joint committee of The Society and the three Colleges. Any person of any nationality, whether a member of The Society or not, is entitled to submit work or to be nominated for the Award. ]]> Cardiff University, 2-6 July 2012 Bookings are now being taken for IMI Summer School - limited spaces availableSummer School is a week of photography based practical workshops that cover a range of clinical photography practice. Delegates will have hands-on experience across a range of topics that they can apply to current or future practice and/or to their academic studies.The course is initially being offered to IMI members working within the profession, or to those on a recognised medical illustration course. It is aimed at those who are new to the profession and for individuals who wish to brush up on their existing skills, or gain new expertise.As there are limited spaces on the course, places will initially be offered to IMI members and non-members may be given the opportunity to apply for any available places in the near future. There may also be an opportunity for both IMI members and non-members to purchase day tickets, however, this is dependent upon the number of bookings taken.Programme OutlineThe course programme includes the following topics:•    Clinical Photography•    Patient photography in the studio and on location•    Dental Photography•    Intra-oral photography•    Extra-oral photography•    Ophthalmic Imaging•    External eye photography•    Fundus photography•    OCT •    Slit-lamp•    Cross-polarisation and Dermoscopy•    Multispectral imaging, UV and IR•    Patient Management•    PR Photography •    Studio Still-life PhotographyDelegate bookingThe delegate price for IMI members is £295A full ticket includes:•    Bed and Breakfast accommodation (Monday-Thursday)•    Five full days teaching (Monday - Friday) •    2 evening lectures•    All teaching materials•    Thursday evening meal and certificate presentationTo make a booking please email: summerschool@imi.org.uk Include the following details in your email: •    Your name•    Your contact details•    Work and/or place of study•    Details of how you will be paying for the course, i.e. self funding or employer paying the feesThe venueSummer School will be held at Cardiff University. Cardiff is the capital city of Wales with good rail, road and air links.Further informationIf you would like any further information please contact the Summer School organisers: Jason Candlin: 01753 633255Amy Lake: 02920 68772Email:  summerschool@imi.org.uk]]> Posted by Paul Crompton on 12th March 2011 I am mid way through my visit to Zambia, which has been supported by the Pat Turnbull travel fund. Whilst we have had internet access we have been posting images on Flickr at: www.flickr.com/photos/gozambia and Tweeting about the visit through the @mothersofafrica twitter feed. I am just back in Lusaka, though heading back into the bush again tomorrow to revisit the school in Shiyala and work with the children there for the day. We have seen some intensely moving scenes and recorded some powerful stories, more than can be posted on the site in the short time we have internet access. These people are incredibly strong and dignified in the face of extreme challenges, whether that is walking 10 or 15 Km in labour, in order to have their baby in the relative safety of a hospital, even if it only has a limited electricity supply, or walking equal distances to get some form of education from volunteer teachers working in simple classrooms, again without electricity or running water, or any of the essentails we take for granted. Yet in these conditions, education in the form of a new nursing school for example, is beginning to make a difference. I only hope I have captured something of this dignity, spirit and hope in the images I am producing. Mothers of Africa web site ]]> The HEE Transition Team has today launched its first bulletin to start providing a regular update on the development of the new organisation. The bulletin is available on a new HEE transition website, which will act as a central source of news and information over the coming months. I hope you find both the bulletin and the website useful and informative. ]]> The NHS is looking at the future of clinical academic careers for healthcare scientists.  In order to develop clinical academic pathways in healthcare science, it is important to quantify the contribution healthcare scientists and their academic and industry colleagues make to research, education and teaching and understand how individuals have developed their involvement in such roles.  Please would you take the time to complete a short survey asking for information on your role and your views on what makes it easier or more difficult to engage in academic work in healthcare science, for both research and education and training. Information from this survey will provide evidence for a new approach to Clinical Academic Careers in Healthcare Science.  Your help and a timely response by 30th March would be greatly appreciated. The Survey is entirely electronic and should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Please click on the following link to start the survey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5HCHCVT Thank you very much for your time and co-operation. With best wishes, Professor Sue Hill, Chief Scientific Officer and Dr Keith IsonCo-chairs, Medical Education England Healthcare Science Programme Board]]> Collaborators from the Metropolitan Police, National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), the Home Office Centre for Applied Science and Technology (CAST), Expert Forensics Ltd, BARTS London School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Glamorgan, and Cardiff University have joined forces within the DePICA (DErmatological Patterned Injury Capture and Analysis) Research Group to investigate the image capture and analysis of dermatological patterned injuries, such as bruises, bite marks, burns, and scalds. When physical abuse is suspected, photographs can be taken to provide an evidential record of the injury and to allow specialists to conduct important pattern comparison analysis to aid essential decision making processes in both peer review and in the court setting. Please follow this link (Focussing on the Future) to complete a 10-minute questionnaire which has been created to build background knowledge about the current imaging procedures in place. This is presently unknown and in order to achieve optimal imaging standards nationwide we first need to gauge what the current practice is. Your contribution is extremely valuable to ensure a fair representation of experts in the area, and would be greatly appreciated. The results of everyone's contributions will be compiled (anonymously) to demonstrate the existing state of play with regards to imaging patterned injuries, and will go towards enhancing the future of imaging practice for all. We aim to publish the findings in a leading academic journal relevant to the area, acknowledging your contribution, and will happily send on information with regards to this publication as and when it is available.]]> Making a living from the visual arts isn't getting any easier. Negotiating the pitfalls of bad contracts and exploitative small print can be frustrating. Luckily, awareness of the problem is growing, so you are not alone. Pro-Action, Visual Artists in Business Campaign and Liaison Group was established in 2006 and primarily represents the interests of professional visual artists. It is intended to help artists protect their copyright and get just rewards for their creativity and hard work. But Pro-Action is also here to advise commissioners and publishers on agreeing terms that are in everyone's interest.To make a real difference we need your support and would like to hear your views. We warmly urge other organizations representing the visual arts to join us on the committee. Visit the Pro-Action web site to support the campaign.]]> A package of patient experience research and on-line support has been launched to support NHS services to improve patient experience: · Transforming Patient Experience: the essential guide · What Matters To Patients? Developing the Evidence Base for Measuring and Improving Patient Experience Transforming Patient Experience: the essential guide provides you and your organisation with a resource to enable better understanding and optimal use of patient and staff experiences to improve services. It is suitable for anyone with designated responsibility for improving patient experience - either as a provider of services or as a commissioner. It contains practical guidance and covers the crucial aspects of: - The importance of organisational culture - Making the case for a patient experience improvements - Helping leaders and staff to improve patient experience - How to organise a patient experience programme - Commissioning for a positive patient experience. The resource includes the full research findings from What Matters To Patients? Developing the Evidence Base for Measuring and Improving Patient Experience a study undertaken by Kings College London and The Kings Fund. (Commissioned by the Department of Health and the NHS Institute in 2010). The resource also highlights real life examples of how different types of organisations across the NHS have captured patient experience to drive service improvement, for example: · University College London and their involvement of prospective medical students in the collection of data from patients. · Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, who set out to make it easier for those with learning disabilities and their carers to submit their views. · Essex County Council who realised the value of peer-to-peer work in researching service uptake by supporting volunteers to interview an older patient group. Transforming Patient Experience: the essential guide is intended to be a 'living resource' which we will update regularly with your best-practice. We hope that it will prove to be a useful source of ideas and inspiration and enable you to optimise your existing endeavours. ]]> Merger plan will save NHS and earn Clubcard points The NHS and supermarket giant Besco are to merge, creating Europe’s biggest provider of healthcare, groceries and tobacco products. Industry watchers say the move could solve the financial problems of the NHS and keep government promises of increased competition and choice at a stroke.  Philip Lucre of investment bank Barkings, which brokered the deal, called it “the ultimate example of synergy between the public and private sectors”. “The NHS has a fantastic brand but has not been financially viable since about 1948. It is inefficient, makes poor use of assets and is out of touch with the needs of its customers,” Lucre said. A Besco spokesperson said the company would bring its experience in high volume, low margin retailing to bear on the NHS, promising a “stack ‘em high, heal ‘em cheap approach to healthcare which would soon have NHS tills ringing up a healthy profit”. Lucre said: “The old NHS business model relied on customers getting sick and just turning up when they felt like it, or being bussed in by ambulance at the NHS’s expense. There was no effective marketing and no attempt to up-sell the customer once they were in store. You had the ridiculous situation where someone would come to hospital, stay for days at a time without buying anything at all, and die or go home leaving the local trust to foot the bill. No wonder the NHS was losing money.” Besco argues that customers already visiting its stores to buy groceries, clothes and cheap electrical goods could also be sold a range of health services from varicose vein stripping and mole removal to major organ transplants.  Junior minister for health Neil Pickle acknowledged that in future all health service commissioning decisions would be taken by store managers. “But rest assured, there will be effective governance arrangements and full clinical input,” he said.  Pickle dismissed allegations of NHS privatisation as “scaremongering”.  “The government has always said it wants to increase the choice of services available to patients,” he said. “Co-locating healthcare with supermarkets not only makes services more convenient for hardworking ordinary people, it means huge savings in premises and staff costs – savings that can be invested to help struggling and hard to reach sectors such as banking.” Analysts say Besco’s retail experience will help it develop healthcare products to suit all budgets. “The NHS tried in vain to give everyone the same product, regardless of their ability to pay, but today’s retail business is all about market segmentation,” said Susan Barcode, retail analyst at Barkings.  Besco is expected to offer a Value range of procedures alongside an upmarket Finest range.  “Obviously, if you opt for a low-end operation, you might expect less in the way of infection control, fully qualified consultants and nursing, but customers will be clear what they’re getting,” said the spokesman, adding that different packages of care would be clearly marked with a traffic light system to indicate the patient’s chances of recovery. Regular customers will earn Clubcard points to be redeemed as money off fuel or minor surgery purchases.  “With only a small amount of extra training, staff already offering to pack customers’ bags can now offer to change them. Every little helps,” Besco said.  Comment on this blog at NHS Networks]]> Secretary of State appoints Dame Fiona Caldicott to lead Information Governance Review Recently, the Future Forum recommended a review to ensure the appropriate balance between the protection of patient information and the use and sharing of information to support care. The Secretary of State has now appointed Dame Fiona Caldicott to lead an independent expert panel to conduct the review. The review, which will cover both health and social care, is expected to report in the summer. Further information can be found here.]]> This year, one IMI Member will be fully funded to attend the HeSCA Annual Conference in June (20-23) held in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. Applications are now invited and should be submitted electronically to the Honorary Secretary before May 1st 2012. In return, the successful applicant will be required to provide a detailed report of the conference for inclusion in the Institute Journal VISCOM. If you are successful in obtaining the IMI/HeSca Exchange Programme award, you will automatically be awarded the conference fee, 4 night’s accommodation and a Pat Turnbull Travel Award which will pay for any travel incurred up to a maximum of £500.  There is no separate travel application form required for the award this year.  The IMI/HeSca Exchange Programme award itself does not provide a maintenance grant; any additional costs must be met by the member. Successful applicants need not register themselves with HeSca; this will be done on their behalf by IMI. The 53rd International Conference on Health & Science Communications will be held in the city of Providence which is capital of the state of Rhode Island, New England. With its magnificent coastline, beautiful beaches and sailing heritage this part of the USA is full of history and culture. Nestled into Narragansett Bay and bordered on the east by the Seekonk River, Providence is a small and friendly city. This conference will offer opportunities to reflect on our profession with a focus on staying connected and relevant. It will showcase some of the most interesting ways to communicate, stay creative, and maintain our professional networking relationships. You can find more information about the conference on the HeSCA web site If you would like to be considered for this Exchange Programme, please complete the IMI/HeSca Exchange Programme award application form and email it with your CV to Carol Fleming, Honorary Secretary no later than 1st May 2012.  Please note that applications must be emailed and that paper documents will not be accepted. The following documents must be included in your application: - Completed Institute application form- Member’s CV All applications will be assessed by a Sub-Committee of IMI Council.  Their recommendation will be ratified by IMI Council and a decision on this award will be made by 18th May 2012. If you have any queries regarding the IMI/HeSCA Exchange Programme, please contact Carol Fleming, IMI Honorary Secretary.]]> A review of Intellectual Property and Growth - An independent report by Ian Hargreaves. In November 2010 the Prime Minister David Cameron announced an independent review of how the Intellectual Property framework supports growth and innovation. Chaired by Professor Ian Hargreaves and assisted by a panel of experts, the review reported to Government in May 2011. The Review makes 10 recommendations designed to ensure that the UK has an IP framework best suited to supporting innovation and promoting economic growth in the digital age. View the full report here]]> The European Commission has proposed a comprehensive reform of the EU's 1995 data protection rules to strengthen online privacy rights and boost Europe's digital economy. Technological progress and globalisation have profoundly changed the way our data is collected, accessed and used. In addition, the 27 EU Member States have implemented the 1995 rules differently, resulting in divergences in enforcement. A single law will do away with the current fragmentation and costly administrative burdens, leading to savings for businesses of around €2.3 billion a year. The initiative will help reinforce consumer confidence in online services, providing a much needed boost to growth, jobs and innovation in Europe. View the full story here.]]> Did you apply for a full-time higher education place in 2005/06 (or do you know someone who did)? If you did, you are a member of the Futuretrack cohort and we want to hear from you. Futuretrack is an independent study conducted by the Institute for Employment Research (IER) at the University of Warwick, and funded by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU). Over the last five years we have been following the experiences of the 2005/06 Futuretrackers as they have progressed through higher education and into the labour market. We are now conducting the fourth survey of 2005/06 UCAS applicants. The questionnaire takes, on average, 18 minutes to complete, depending on how many questions apply to you. All eligible respondents who complete the survey have the chance of winning cash prizes: ten of £1,000 or one hundred of £100. Those who have taken part in a previous stage of the research should have received an email containing a link to the online survey that enables us to merge Stage 4 responses with those submitted previously. 2005/06 UCAS applicants who haven't received it, or would like to join the survey for the first time, can still join the survey, via the link below: https://www.snapsurveys.com/futuretrack?u=prof Please pass on the message to eligible friends and former classmates, so that we can develop as full a picture as possible about the relationship between opportunities, qualifications and the realities of the current labour market. The survey is hosted securely and responses are confidential and will not be passed or made available to any other person or organisation. You can find out more about Futuretrack and access our privacy statement on: www.go.warwick.ac.uk/futuretrack or email the research team with any questions at Futuretrack2006@warwick.ac.uk Follow us on Twitter @Futuretrack2006]]> Uncongenial NHS managers outrage, dwarfs MPs expenses scandal The Freedom of Information Act is generally regarded as a mainstay of liberty and the hallmark of a free society. But the truth, obtained under a Freedom of Information request issued by NHS Networks to all NHS trusts, arm’s length bodies and government departments, is that nothing is guaranteed to give spurious newsworthiness to a non-story like an FOI. In a recent issue, the HSJ gives prominence to two items obtained this way. The first is a report from the NHS Top Leaders programme, an oxymoronic training scheme for managers, which reaches some shocking conclusions. These include that managers are failing in their duty to create a climate of “congeniality”, which is 25% below the “ideal standard”. Then there is lack of “clarity”, an area in which the NHS is a disgraceful 38% behind. The HSJ goes to the heart of the matter with its disclosure that this is because managers are “unclear about their own work”. These things are often related. It would not be surprising to find that the same managers went to ambiguous schools or had unusually uncongenial childhoods. The article goes on to say that the NHS tends to recruit managers who “need everything spelt out” and are not as good as they could be at “minimising bureaucracy” – a ridiculous claim which is fully rebuffed on page 237 of the NHS Networks Quick Reference Guide to NHS Management: It’s As Easy As ABC, Appendix 4, Subsection 3b. The HSJ claims that its revelations were obtained following a dramatic “Freedom of Information request battle with the Department of Health”. Injured reporters and traumatised press officers were ferried from the scene by ambulance. Elsewhere in the same, bloody, shell-shocked issue, we learn that NHS London has taken legal advice on the question of whether staff loaned to CCGs enjoy an unfair advantage when real jobs in CCGs are advertised. Outrageous waste of public money or sensible precaution against the inevitable “SHA staff get inside track to plum jobs in CCGs” expose in next week’s issue? The Freedom of Information Act is supposed to make public institutions more open and accountable. Most of the time it has the opposite effect, driving them to ever more ludicrous extremes of secrecy, organisational paralysis and paranoia. Perhaps it’s one of the reasons why NHS leaders are not only trailing in the congeniality and clarity stakes but are less inclined to take risks than managers in other sectors. For the important things in life we have credit cards. For everything else we have freedom of information. Next week: John Lewis allegations in full – NHS Networks editor in free toaster and cushion scandal. Lord Leveson investigates . Comment on this blog]]> Kodak filed for bankruptcy early this morning after becoming a victim of the digital age. The camera-maker, which was founded more than a hundred years ago, failed to find a buyer for its trove of 1,100 digital imaging patents. The film pioneer, now called Eastman Kodak, once sold 90 per cent of the world’s photographic film and was responsible for popularising photography. But it has been struggling to keep pace with the digital age and years of poor performance had already forced it to lay off 47,000 employees and close 13 manufacturing plants since 2003. At its height in the 1980s, it had 145,000 workers. Read the full story here  ]]> Did you know you can follow IMI on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn? Stay up to date with the latest goings on in your institute, popular IMI Talk threads, events, member updates and more. Got a suggestion for a Tweet or update? You can now email suggestions of topics you would like to see, to the following address: socialmedia@imi.org.uk If you would like to follow IMI on any of the social media sites, but don’t know how to go about it, here is a basic guide to help you get started.]]>