18th Annual Conference and AGM, May 2009
18th LUPUS UK Annual Conference and AGM 2009,
Best Western Stoke-on-Trent Moat House.
The 2009 Conference and AGM took place at the Best Western Stoke-on-Trent Moat House on Sunday May 10th. The Conference commenced at 9am with tea and coffee before delegates listened to talks on lupus related topics by medical professionals.
The event was hosted by the West Midlands Lupus Group who welcomed delegates to Stoke.
Prof Caroline Gordon, Head of the first LUPUS UK Centre of Excellence in Birmingham spoke about lupus and pregnancy.
The next speaker was Dr John Hamburger, Consultant in Oral Medicine, Birmingham School of Dentistry spoke about lupus and the mouth.
Dr Michael Beresford from the Institute of Child Health, Liverpool University presented Lupus in Children and Adolescents. Dr Beresford has set up a JSLE study group across the whole of the UK. Dr Beresford introduced the first patient speakers at the LUPUS UK Conference, Declan and his mum Melanie. Declan spoke about what it was like to have lupus as a child and spoke brilliantly and with a lovely sense of humour and humility. Melanie also apoke about life as a mum with a child with lupus, the emotions and coming to terms with a condition like lupus. Dr Beresford then described the findings of the Juvenille SLE Study Group and the impact of lupus in a child.
A minutes silence was held in memory of Ronnie Gourley, past Chairman of the charity then followed the AGM. Jane Dunnage delivered the Chair's report. The Director, Chris Maker, delivered his report and spoke of how role of National Office was changing and that a lot of calls for support were for specific things rather than general support and awareness raising. Chris thanked Janet Dean MP for continuing to support LUPUS UK in the Houses of Parliament.
The question of the new legislation on incandesent light bulbs was mentioned and Chris told of the collaborative work that is being undertaken and thanked David Price, North West Lupus Group Chair, for his dedication in this area.
During the lunch break delegates were asked to support World Lupus Day and text 10 people to ask them to pass on the word about WLD to people they know.
Janet Dean MP, Patron and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Lupus (APPG) opened the Afternoon Session by welcoming delegates to Staffordshire. She spoke about her family involvement with lupus and how awareness has changed. The APPG was set up to look at the issues of medical training, lighting, benefits system and more.
Dr Sanjeet Kamath, Consultant Rheumatologist, University Hospitals of North Stafford told delegates how during his training he was told - if you know lupus, you know everything in medicine. Dr Kamath mentioned how in the last 20-30 years we are understanding the condition more. So much research is being done into different medication for lupus.
The Conference closed with entertainment by a solo artist 'Norman Wheatley Sings'. One man and his guitar, Norman entertained the Conference with some well known music and his own songs.
The Conference Raffle draw took place and Jane Dunnage advised delegates of the 2010 Conference in Harrogate.
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