As we approach the festive season it is good to reflect on what Nuclear Medicine in the UK has achieved over the last year. Under very difficult circumstances of the pandemic we have adapted the services we offer and generated extra capacity, particularly in cancer pathways, to provide the care that our patients need. Nuclear Medicine has never been more important and with the potential growth in theranostics  this will continue grow at a faster rate.
 
The BNMS are significant stakeholders in the recently published Review of molecular radiotherapy services in the UK. This joint document from BNMS, RCR, RCR and IPEM highlights the issue facing the UK and requirement for capacity building and levelling up of patient access. I would like to thank John Buscombe for leading this important piece of work. We are planning to define what the PET-CT service commissioning standards should be and we are looking for some volunteers to establish a multi-disciplinary working group to deliver this. This would lend itself to people who have recently been involved in national tendering processes. Please email your interest to Charlotte Weston.
 
I have just come out of our first meeting of a BNMS led working group to propose a better process for the commissioning of new PET-CT tracers. This groups has wide representation including patient charities and will produce a manifesto which we will use to influence commissioners. This is an important piece of work which we hope will help patients access new PET tracers and received the personalised care that this can enable.
 
We continue to lobby on training and registration of technologists and are continually highlighting this issue to the NHS and HEE. We are also looking for a new host for the Kings’s Nuclear Medicine MSc to enable the training of nuclear medicine physicians and technologists. If you have ideas on this please let Charlotte Fowler know.
 
I know things will become more difficult for us all in the coming weeks with the Omicron variant but I do hope you remain well and get a well-earned break with your friends and family. I would like to thank the BNMS Office, BNMS officers, council and all our committee members for the hard work that they do on behalf of you, our membership. I would also like to thank you all for the support you show the BNMS and care that you provide to your patients and services.

Prof Richard Graham

BNMS President