If a colleague told you they’re off to see The Wind in the Willows in London next month, you’d be forgiven if you thought they were planning to see a seasonal pantomime or musical in the West End.

But press them for a little more information and – particularly if your colleague happens to be a respiratory specialist – it’s more likely he or she is one of hundreds of delegates who’ve booked a place at the British Thoracic Society’s winter meeting.

As James Chalmers explains in his welcome address in the conference programme, clinicians and researchers were asked to flavour their abstract title with a theme borrowed from the world of literature.

Professor Chalmers, who chairs the BTS committee that put the programme together, notes: ‘We hope you have as much fun attending these sessions as our “Dead Poet’s Society”, aka the Science and Research Committee, had in scheduling them!’

He added: ‘The spoken, poster and moderated poster abstract sessions provide great platforms for sharing the most up-to-date advances and they remain a key part of the Meeting. This year we received 658 abstract submissions, the highest total in 14 years and the second highest ever – a sign of the strength of both the Winter Meeting and UK respiratory science.’

Central London venue

The event is being held at the QEII Centre in London from 27 to 29 November. Many presenters have embraced the idea of giving their talks a theme linked to a well-known book. On the opening day, delegates can, for example, look forward to listening to offerings such as ‘Harry Potter And the Sorcerer’s Biologic’: Asthma biologics, ‘Where the Wild Things Are’: Infection and inflammation in bronchiectasis, and ‘The Wind in the Willows’: Home mechanical ventilation.

A team approach

PhysioUpdate heard from two physiotherapists who will be taking a break from their NHS posts and heading off to the QEII Centre. The first, consultant physiotherapist Stephanie Mansell, said: ‘I attend the BTS Winter Meeting for the exceptional scientific content. BTS have really strived to ensure the content of the winter meeting is applicable to the whole multidisciplinary team (MDT).’ After all, Stephanie adds, ‘it takes the whole team to provide excellent respiratory care’. 

A veteran of many BTS meetings, Stephanie noted: ‘I’m so pleased to see some exceptional physiotherapists speaking and chairing sessions at this year’s Winter Meeting. I always leave the BTS inspired and with new ideas for patient care as well as my own research.’

Stephanie, who is based at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and UCL in London, is also a fellow at the National Institute for Health and Care Research. She added: ‘I really hope to see lots of physios at this year’s meeting, it’s always a great opportunity for networking. I sit on the critical care, respiratory failure and mechanical ventilation specialist advisory group (SAG) so come and say hello at the open meeting on Friday.’

Stephanie’s top tips for sessions to earmark

Wednesday ‘Measurement and Monitoring In Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Using the mind body and soul’

‘Tobacco Dependence Giving Up is Easy, I’ve Done it a Thousand Times … ’

Thursday ‘Breaking the Barriers in Bronchiectasis’: Cutting edge from clinical trials

‘Transforming Specialist Respiratory Services’: What does good look like and how do we deliver and monitor?

‘The Man in the Iron Mask’: Acute respiratory support

Friday ‘Women in Respiratory Medicine’

‘Innovative Ventilation Technology’: From hospital to home

‘The Fellowship of the Fit’: Exercise and rehabilitation

I’m so pleased to see some exceptional physiotherapists speaking and chairing sessions at this year’s Winter Meeting. I always leave the BTS inspired and with new ideas for patient care as well as my own research [Stephanie Mansell]

Why the meeting is a ‘melting pot’

Liam Campbell is an advanced practice physiotherapist in long term ventilation and weaning with the Liverpool Ventilation Service. He’s looking forward to ‘seeing as many people as possible’ booking tickets for the Winter Meeting.

‘Physios should absolutely attend Winter BTS! The sessions are engaging, informative and will set the cogs turning on how we can implement some of the research.’

‘It offers incredible networking and is an opportunity to perhaps meet that person you’ve only spoken to via email or social media.’ Liam added that he sees the Meeting as an ‘opportunity to bring together ideas in a melting pot that encompasses the whole MDT and not just our specialist area’.

Liam has just been appointed to the BTS’s Critical Care, Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation SAG.

Liam’s programme ‘must-sees’ include

Wednesday ‘Measurement And Monitoring In Pulmonary Rehabilitation’: Using the mind, body and soul

‘The Wind In The Willows’: Home mechanical ventilation

Thursday ‘Breaking The Barriers In Bronchiectasis’: Cutting edge from clinical trials

‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’: Ventilation in motor neurone disease

‘Transforming Specialist Respiratory Services: What does ‘good’ look like and how do we deliver and monitor?’

‘The Man In The Iron Mask’: Acute respiratory support 

Friday ‘The Road not Taken’: Optimising rehabilitation in COPD

‘Great Expectorations’: Cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis

‘The Fellowship of the Fit’: Exercise and rehabilitation

Physios should absolutely attend Winter BTS! The sessions are engaging, informative and will set the cogs turning on how we can implement some of the research [Liam Campbell]

The full programme, including symposia, guest lectures, journal clubs and the spoken, poster and moderated poster abstract sessions, can be viewed online or downloaded here: Winter Meeting 2024 Programme