Conference for Health Professionals 2013
ARC holds a biennial national conference for health professionals to help those working in the field to keep up to date with the latest developments, and to raise ARC’s profile. Our ultimate aim is to help professionals make sure that they can provide the highest quality care and support for parents.
In 2013, ARC will be holding a joint conference with bpas, on 'Diagnoses and Dilemmas: Current Issues in Antenatal Screening and Testing'. As in previous years, the conference will be an excellent opportunity to meet other health professionals, and to hear talks from leading experts in antenatal screening and testing.
The day will be of value to all professionals who work with parents through antenatal testing and its consequences. The conference will take place from 9.30am until 4.00pm on Monday 9 September 2013, at The Burdett Suite, The King’s Fund, Cavendish Square, London, W1G 0AN. Lunch, refreshments and certificates of attendance will be provided.
For the first time, you can now buy a place at the conference through the brand new ARC Shop. The cost of places is as follows:
£85.00 for Midwives and Sonographers. £110.00 for Doctors.
* Student places are £60.00.
You can also find a full programme of talks for the day in our Shop. If you would like any more information about the conference, please contact the office on 0207 713 7356 or email info@arc-uk.org.
The 2011 conference
The theme of 2011's conference was ‘Testing in the first trimester – providing women-centred care’ and attracted health professionals from across the UK. The aim of the day was to focus particularly on developments in first trimester screening and testing and the implications this may have for parents.
The chairperson for the conference was Professor Jenny Hewison, who did a great job of facilitating discussions and making sure that the speakers kept to time! As in previous years, we were lucky to have several eminent professionals who spoke about their areas of expertise.
Pat Ward, National Programme Director for the NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme (FASP) opened the conference with a presentation on FASP’s significant achievements in improving screening and reducing the need for invasive testing. Dr Rachel Sharman, Regional Obstetric Screening Co-ordinator for the South East Coast then looked at how the quality of nuchal translucency scanning is getting better and how to maintain this progress.
Professor Lyn Chitty addressed the conference on the on-going research she is leading into non-invasive prenatal diagnosis, and what effect this will have on the future of prenatal diagnosis. Professor Steve Robson, from the University of Newcastle told the conference about new more sensitive genetic testing technologies that may replace karyotyping. Pioneering specialist Professor Kypros Nicolaides then spoke to the conference about the very latest developments in first trimester screening.
Dr Louise Bryant, an academic from the University of Leeds, explored the challenges the timing of first trimester screening presents to women making informed decisions. Psychotherapist Mando Meleagrou (familiar as a speaker at the last two ARC AGMs), provided insight into the psychological impact on parents of receiving test results which show a fetal anomaly. Patricia Lohr, Medical Director of bpas, spoke about the role of the independent sector in facilitating choice of method for women facing a termination for a fetal anomaly.
Finally, ARC’s director Jane Fisher, took up the issue of making sure women and couples are supported to make the decisions that are right for them when a diagnosis is made in the first trimester. She also talked about the role ARC can play in supporting health professionals as well as parents.
Attendees told us they found the conference both stimulating and educational and felt they had learned a great deal which could benefit their patients.
We are very grateful to Professor Hewison, and all of our guest speakers, for helping to make the day such a success. We are also extremely thankful to Joanie Dimavicius (ARC’s founder Director) who organised the conference on ARC’s behalf and whose hard work ensured that the day ran smoothly.