Winter has arrived in the NHS. Ambulances are queuing to off load patients and we are failing to achieve cancer targets. The elective backlog has never been so great. This is a difficult time to lead in healthcare and I wish our new Secretary of State – Dr Thérèse Coffey good luck in her endeavours. It is interesting for us that Dr Coffey’s PhD was in molybdenum so at least we have something in common! Maybe this will mean a new ear era of political understanding in nuclear medicine.
 
This month the BNMS has been supporting the foundation of the Molecular Radiotherapy Consortium. We are in negotiations to host it and I think this avenue of work for us will be very important going forward. The predictions for the amount of  prostate carcinoma MRT we will be undertaking in the future are large and we will need significant resourcing in people and infrastructure if we are to deliver this for our patients.
 
We continue to support he national review of radiopharmacy being undertaken by DHSC to help the formulation of the future radiopharmacy strategy. Radiopharmacy is such a key constituent of our services and it hasn’t been given the attention it deserves by government in recent times so this new found attention is greatly appreciated.
 
The work on standards in PET-CT for delivery and commissioning continues. I have heard rumours that PET-CT will be commissioned by Integrated Care Systems in the future. If this is true our guidance will be invaluable for them and will come at an opportune time.
 
The society is financially sound through the careful management of Charlotte Weston and our treasurers past and present in the form of Jilly Croasdale and Charnie Kalirai. I would like to thank them as this is enabling us to work effectively to advocate for our vital speciality and not to be distracted having to solve financial difficulties that some societies are now facing.
 
The autumn BNMS meeting is almost upon us and will be on the 11th and 12th of November in Swansea. The programme looks excellent and I would urge you to register if you have not done so already. I am looking forward to seeing many of you there and I would like to thank Neil Hartman and team for organising this great event which includes dinner in the National Waterfront Museum. Traditional entertainment is promised too if you need another reason to attend!

Prof Richard Graham

BNMS President