British Geriatrics Society

The British Geriatrics Society (BGS) is a multi-disciplinary professional membership association that seeks to promote better health and care for older people. It does this by holding scientific meetings, producing clinical guidance, sharing best practice and acting as an ‘expert voice’ on the care of older people and promoting better health in older age. It‘s members also lead several national clinical audits in collaboration with other professional bodies such as Royal Colleges, and specialist clinical associations organizations in. It has over 2,600 members including doctors practicing geriatric medicine, old age psychiatrists, general practitioners, nurses, therapists and scientists.

History and activities

The Society was founded in 1947 for “the relief of suffering and distress amongst the aged and infirm by the improvement of standards of medical care for such persons, the holding of meetings and the publication and distribution of the results of such research”.

Today, the Society aims to set and promote high standards of health care for older people at home, in hospital, and in care homes. It is active in campaigning for:

• High quality and integrated hospital and community care services for older people with access to appropriate diagnostic and treatment facilities, transition between the hospital/community health and social services.

• dignity in care for older people and to tackle age discrimination in health care;

• promotion of autonomy and the “patients’ voice” in the design and delivery of health services

• promoting education, training and standards in geriatric medicine and wider less specialist healthcare of older people;

• research into age related disease and into the management of illness in old age;

• improved medical support for the most frail older people, residing in independent sector care homes

• a proactive and holistic approach to healthcare at the end of life

The Society also has a number of special interest groups and sections which aim to co-ordinate expertise and promote interest and research in the fields of dementia and related disorders, diabetes, gastroenterology and nutrition, medical ethics, Parkinson’s disease, drugs and prescribing, respiratory medicine, cardiovascular, community geriatrics, (delete health services research), falls and bones, bladder and bowel and new technology in medicine for older people.

Journal

Age and Ageing, which is published by Oxford University Press, is the official journal of the British Geriatrics Society, publishing refereed original articles and commissioned reviews on geriatric medicine and gerontology. Its range includes research on ageing and the clinical, epidemiological and psychological aspects of later life. Its impact factor of 3.13 is among the highest in the field of clinical ageing. Follow the journal on Twitter @Age_and_Ageing

Scientific meetings and educational activities

The Society hosts two scientific meetings each year, spring and autumn, where members present the latest research using both platform presentations and posters. Each meeting (delete will ) features keynote lectures delivered by leading medical figures from around the world. The Society also hold several specialist meetings arranged by its special interest groups. Its annual Falls and Bone Health conference is very popular and there is growing interest in a Community Geriatrics event.

The current president is Professor Paul Knight.

External links

• BGS Homepage