Introduction
Healthcare is changing and so are the roles of the royal colleges and professional societies. Membership of the SCTS carries financial implications and it is not unreasonable for existing or perspective members to ask what they get from their subscription money. A number of benefits of membership are listed below.
To keep up with developments the SCTS is currently undergoing a fundamental review of its structures and functions, but what is clear is that it is only by keeping existing members and attracting new ones that we can continue to offer a strong and united opinion to influence developments.
Benefits
1. Provides access to UK Cardiac & Thoracic Surgical registers and National Adult Cardiac Surgical Database information enabling self regulation and monitoring of performance.
2. The SCTS organises an annual meeting with a full scientific and social program.
3. Access to the Society’s website at www.scts.org offers a useful source of relevant information and enables access to CTSNet.
4. Provides a twice yearly newsletter.
5. Members are represented on the central Consultants and Specialities Committee.
6. Provides scholarships for members (both trainee and young consultants).
7. Offers career advice and pastoral support for trainees from the Cardiothoracic Dean.
8. The trainees have an elected member who sits as their representative on the Executive committee and the SAC.
9. The secretary of SCTS and Cardiothoracic Dean sit on the SAC and exam board to represent the interests of the SCTS.
10. There is an SCTS trainees' web page.
11. There are trainee meetings held at the SCTS annual meeting.
12. The SCTS approve various courses, which should aid the trainee in choosing where to spend education budgets.
13. Membership offers reduced subscription to the Journal for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
14. Provides opportunities to discuss clinical and other matters of common interest.
15. The SCTS offers pastoral and professional help in times of difficulty.
16. Maximum membership gives the Society more strength in representation and negotiations and therefore greater input into national matters of interest/importance.
17. Membership of the Society helps to further the improvement of standards in the care of Cardiothoracic patients in the UK.
18.The SCTS organises sessions at the annual meeting for Nurses, surgeons' assistants, database managers, clinical governance leads and surgical care practitioners.