We are pleased to announce details of the 3rd BUS Birdshot Uveitis Day on Saturday 14th November 2015.  We will be holding it at the Grange City Hotel, 8 – 14 Coopers Row, London EC3N 2BQ, close to Tower Hill tube station and Fenchurch BR station.  The educational day is intended for people with Birdshot Uveitis, their family members and health professionals who treat people with Birdshot or research Birdshot, or want to learn more about the condition.  We welcome both old and new friends.    A two course buffet lunch, tea and coffee will be provided and the day will be divided into five main sessions which are briefly described below.

SESSION 1 – Chaired by Professor Andrew Dick

Birdshot Uveitis and where we are now: Medication and keeping yourself well – an interactive panel presentation including a doctor, pharmacist, specialist nurse and chairman with lots of opportunity to ask questions from the floor for example, information about trough levels and blood tests; information about skin problems,  drug interactions; managing stress and how to keep well on treatment.

SESSION 2 – Chaired by Professor Phil Murray

The importance of partnership and collaboration in research: NBRN and BUS partnership; Fight for Sight and BUS partnership: update on some of the research projects supported to date and the future,  with Q & A’s. Speakers will include Julian Jackson, ( Fight for Sight) and Birdshot researchers: Alastair Denniston, Graham Wallace, Omar Mahroo, Professor Glen Jeffery.

SESSION 3

1) Reducing Stress – an interactive session where Mark Westmoquette shows how mindfulness could help reduce stress including some simple introductory exercises
2) Living with Birdshot – a led workshop where patients share their experiences

SESSION 4 – Chaired by Professor Miles Stanford

National Birdshot Research Network,  future developments and new research in the pipeline,with short presentations from leading researchers involved in Birdshot related research in both the UK and Holland.   The speakers include consultants and specialist researchers such as: Carlos Pavesio (Moorfields Eye Hospital), Jonas Kuiper, (Department of Ophthalmology and Laboratory of Translational Immmunology, Utrecht)  Pearse Keane (Moorfields Eye Hospital), Andrew Dick and Richard Lee (Bristol University/Bristol Eye Hospital).

SESSION 5

Question Time –  The Birdshot panel of experts answer your questions, with: Andrew Dick, Miles Stanford, Phil Murray, Carlos Pavesio, Pearse Keane, Alastair Denniston, Jonas Kuiper, Richard Lee, John Hall, Annie Folkard and others.

As well as the talks, on the day you will be able to network and socialise with our ‘Birdshot Community’ – made up of professionals, people with Birdshot and family members.  You will be able to:

• Meet experts in the field of Birdshot
• Meet other patients with a Birdshot diagnosis
• Ask questions about Birdshot
• Ask questions about medication
• Find out about new treatments and research

We will have a range of exhibitors there  including: Fight for Sight, RNIB, Macular Disease Society, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and Optima Low Vision and others.

Please register on line to reserve your place, or print off Birdshot Day Registration Form and send it to BUS, PO Box 64996, London SW20 2BL, or return it by email to info @ birdshot. org. uk.
This event is being organised by BUS  and members of the National Birdshot Research Network.  We are  particularly grateful to Professor Andrew Dick and Karen Bonstein for their help with developing the programme.  We are extremely fortunate to  have the continued support of a dedicated group of clinicians and researchers who form the heart of the National Birdshot Research Network.

BUS very much look forward to meeting you all on Saturday 14th November 2015.

Annie

for Team Birdshot

Email: info @ birdshot. org.uk

Book your places now!

As before, the conference, including lunch, is free,  but we do require a £20 refundable registration deposit (plus £1 non-refundable administration fee to pay for postage and Paypal fees) – your registration fee can be returned when you attend the Day, but if you choose to donate your registration fee to help BUS develop the next Birdshot Day, we very warmly welcome this. You can pay your registration fee by using the button below (debit and credit card & PayPal), or by sending a cheque by post to BUS, PO Box 64996, London SW20 2BL.

If you are claiming benefits or on a pension we will waive the deposit as we do not want to prevent people attending due to financial constraints.

Accommodation

If you want overnight accommodation the Grange City Hotel has offered us a concessionary rate.  Please note to obtain the special rate, your hotel booking must be made at least 1 months in advance of the day, as nearer to the date prices will unfortunately go up.  Information about this, including the rates can be found at the following link: http://www.grangehotels.com/business/birdshot-uveitis-society/

We are extremely grateful to M3 who have sponsored the printing and distribution costs of the publicity poster.