Dear colleagues!
At the beginning of the summer period you are receiving the news on the latest activities within our association. There have been a number of important developments within the last months which need to be communicated to all members. A detailed description on that will be given in the Secretary General's report. However, I would like to point out some additional aspects of general importance.
Our association, primarily aimed at advancing education in the field of cardiothoracic surgery has increasingly perceived the need to take an active role towards European authorities and political matters concerning our specialities.
One of the important points is our representation within UEMS where the achievement of acceptance as an own section represents a major breakthrough. Currently, the statutes for both, section and board are drafted, and hopefully will be approved by the UEMS management council at the end of summer. This should allow us to continue to develope the background for performing cardio thoracic surgery at a European level.
The European working time directive, which will be implemented in the next years, will impact on our daily work, but much more so on the training of our residents. Some, if not, most of these regulations, will make it increasingly difficult to follow the main goal of our profession, which there is to provide care to our patients at the highest possible quality level. Council has perceived the importancy of this issue and a working committee under the leadership of Deirdre Watson is currently looking into the matter.
In order to deal with these issues at the European level, it will be necessary to improve the contact to the national societies. At the annual conference in Vienna for the first time a meeting between EACTS representatives and leaders of the national societies will take place. This meeting aims to improve the contacts and to facilitate actions which are of common interest.
In the last two years, continuous achievements in the relations between EACTS and ESTS have been made. All this has been done in the intention to support and promote general thoracic surgery within Europe. In that regard, I would like to draw your attention on an upcoming article in the June issue of the European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery, entitled General thoracic surgery - optimising opportunities at a European level ". In this article, you will find the common strategy of both councils explained, together with a comment on the practical consequences and implications.
I want to wish all of you a nice summer and a great time with your families and friends.
Walter
Klepetko, MD, FETCS
President EACTS