Thursday 22 May 2008 - 'Medicine and Me' conferences, initiated and developed by the Royal Society of Medicine, are specifically intended for patients. These meetings bring together patients, their families, carers, advocates, patient support groups, clinicians and researchers to discuss care and research issues in a particular condition. Medicine and Me conferences aim to provide a forum in which patients' concerns about their illness are given top priority.
'Medicine and Me: Hepatitis C' was jointly organised by the Royal Society of Medicine and the Hepatitis C Trust. The programme included presentations from three people affected by Hepatitis C, raising issues about the nature of the condition and its treatment, each followed by an expert response. The meeting finished with an extended panel discussion involving the audience in an interactive discussion.
1.00 pm: Welcome address: Dr John Scadding, Dean, Royal Society of Medicine
1.05 pm: 'Hepatitis C in the UK: where are we now?' Charles Gore, Chief Executive, The Hepatitis C Trust
SESSION ONE
Chair: Dr David Misselbrook, Associate Dean, Royal Society of Medicine
1.25 pm: 'Hepatitis C - more than just the liver?' Catherine Corr
1.40 pm: 'The impact of hepatitis C on the whole body' Dr Simon Taylor Robinson
1.55 pm Questions
2.05 pm: 'Deciding if and when to treat: the pros and the cons of waiting for new drugs': Jayne Ayris
2.20 pm 'Latest drug developments and future hopes for the treatment of hepatitis C ' : Professor Graham Foster, Barts and The London School of Medicine
2.35 pm: Questions
SESSION TWO
Chair: Professor Geoffrey Dusheiko, Royal Free Hospital, London
3.15 pm 'Living with cirrhosis: will a liver transplant be the end of your problems?': Keith Ellis
3.30 pm 'How can hepatitis C patients access liver transplantation: understanding the process': Dr Graeme Alexander, Addenbrooke's Hospital
3.35 pm Questions
SESSION THREE
Chair: Dr John Scadding, Dean, Royal Society of Medicine
3.55 pm Panel Discussion All speakers
4.50 pm Closing remarks Charles Gore, Chief Executive, The Hepatitis C Trust and Dr John Scadding, Dean, Royal Society of Medicine
