From the President’s Desk
20 years since the 7/7 London Bombings
07 July 2025
(Last updated: 7 Jul 2025 13:52)
It is 20 years today since that terrible event. I was a senior trainee at St.Thomas’ Hospital in London. It was a dark time when our country changed, but also showed great resilience. I recall the emergency teams, the leadership of my consultants, camaraderie and the teamwork that got us through the day. Let us remember those who were forever changed, the lives we saved, and those we could not.
On Sunday 14th September 2025, SCTS looks forward to partnering with the iconic London to Brighton Cycle Ride 2025. This mass participation charity event has long attracted thousands of riders supporting causes close to their hearts!
This year we ride for ours!
We hope our own team of riders will help raise the profile of SCTS in the crowded healthcare landscape, and generate sponsorship to support our mission.
We warmly invite you to join us. There is a registration fee, but for this you will receive a rider pack and access to training guidance. When registering, please use this bespoke link and request the 10am start slot (although this cannot be guaranteed), as we would love to ride out as a group. We are asking each rider to try to raise at least £150, though some have exceeded this target in previous years. Spaces are limited.
This initiative is not just about fundraising. We hope this shared challenge becomes a fun and memorable experience: a symbol of what we can achieve when we work and ride together. Our thanks go to the patients who have already registered and are helping us shape this with their enthusiasm and marketing support. Their engagement bodes well for the launch of the Friends of SCTS platform, which we hope to establish soon.
Increased advocacy, fundraising, and more patient engagement are some of the concepts we want to progress. Thank you to our new Fundraising leads for pushing this forward.
Celebrating Excellence: The Farquharson Award
This week brought news that Mr Sri Rathinam, a friend, and pillar of the SCTS community, will receive the Farquharson Award from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. This is a well-deserved honour in recognition of his extensive contributions to education.
Sri has worn many hats in service of our Society and the wider profession: thoracic Tutor, Education Secretary, Communications Secretary and Chair of the Intercollegiate Exam Board. He has led outreach efforts nationally and abroad and played an important role in securing major philanthropic gifts and sponsorships. Congratulations, Sri. We are proud of you.
AGM Reflections: What Do We Offer Our Members?
Last week’s online AGM was well attended, with strong engagement throughout and a number of thoughtful questions. Thank you to all who attended.
One question stood out: “Please expand on the support SCTS gives its members?”
It was the longest answer I gave, but it can be distilled to this:
Everything we do is aimed at improving our members’ professional lives so that they can deliver better patient care.
From education and policy advocacy to mentoring, workforce engagement and clinical leadership. A fuller scope of our activity is listed on the SCTS website. However, I suspect the intent behind the question may have been deeper, perhaps a reflection on how we support each other during moments of challenge, fatigue or change.
We are not immune to these pressures. As a Society, we are actively committed to improving support for our members, in advocating for clinical improvements, promoting work–life balance, addressing burnout, encouraging sustainability in practice and embracing the evolving shape of our multidisciplinary workforce. There is more to do. Your ideas, insights and lived experiences are welcome, please keep them coming.
Loosening Up for the Ride,
On the home front, with the sunshine and rainfall we have had a bumper plum harvest this year.
With all the children away, our youngest overnighting in London, we took the opportunity for a long, Sunday walk along the Norfolk beaches and wooded trails. There had been some thunderstorms, and for long periods we were the only people. It was not quiet though, but rather full of bird songs. Not scared by the sounds of people we saw plenty of wild deer wandering the woods.
As I walked, loosening up in advance for the September ride we took some time for fresh air and reflection, remembering the impact of 7/7/2005, and much else.
Aman S Coonar
President, Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain & Ireland (SCTS)
Feedback is encouraged and gratefully received.
Please send comments to Emma Piotrowski at emma@scts.org or contact me directly at aman.coonar@nhs.net
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