Recent Updates

16th August 2025

BSUG: Chair News Letter - August 2025

Summer is here and the weather has been lovely this year. Hope you all get some time for a well-earned rest. I thought it may be a good time to update you on all things BSUG.

As you all know, BSUG is a charity that exists to encourage the study and management of female pelvic floor dysfunction, urinary incontinence, POP and faecal incontinence. Membership of BSUG is continuing to grow and I am pleased to tell you that our AHP membership continues to rise steadily, please encourage your nurses and physios to join, they get access to the associate database for their cases.

The past few weeks have been filled with Conferences both EUGA/IUGA joint meeting in Barcelona and the RCOG World Congress in London. RCOG World Congress was a great success and BSUG held a well-attended session looking at the latest research and initiatives in our field supporting women with pelvic floor conditions. The session was Chaired by BSUG members Dr Ivilina Pandeva & Mr Dudley Robinson, speakers included myself, Prof Vik Khullar and Professor Anna Rosamilia President of IUGA – topics included Autologous fascia lata versus polypropylene mesh, basic science and biomechanics, management of resistant UTIs and establishing new services in urogynaecology and an update on mesh. I had the opportunity to meet and catch up with several friends and colleagues and meet new ones. As well as the opportunity to learn and develop these are great chances to connect with colleagues old and new. If you were unable to be at either of these it is not too late to book your place for the Annual Scientific Update the joint BSUG and RCOG meeting in November in London at the RCOG (or hybrid). Book here.

BSUG representatives continue to be part of the Women’s Specialist Commissioning CRG, NHSE Pelvic Floor Registry Group and Mesh Specialist Commissioning Group and the registry is being piloted by some units currently with the aim for wider roll out later in the year.

BSUG and BAUS jointly authored and published the GIRFT document – Improving Functional Urology and Urogynaecology service delivery earlier this year. BSUG and UKCS and BAUS also jointly published the document on Urodynamics Standards and Accreditation this year.

BSUG now has social media presence on Linkedin and Instagram. Please do follow BSUG on these platforms and connect.

LinkedIn: British Society of Urogynaecology – BSUG
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/british-society-of-urogynaecology-bsug-ba6389366/)

Instagram: @bsug.2025
(https://www.instagram.com/bsug.2025/)
For the first time BSUG partnered with Well Being of Women and has advertised research grants this year. This will be the beginning of a successful partnership with BSUG supporting and encouraging research.

The Annual Research Meeting forms part of the ASU and we welcome submission of abstracts for presentation at this meeting describing original research or relevant audits. All areas of urogynaecology, urinary and faecal incontinence, or peripartum continence issues are welcome. Please encourage your trainees, AHPs and research fellows to take part.

BSUG is grateful for the support of individuals who contribute to the success of BSUG by sitting on Committees and participating in BSUG work. For the Society to thrive it relies on your help. We will be running elections for a Vice Chair/Chair elect who will eventually become Chair in 2027, please vote for your chosen candidate. I leave this role in November and hand over to my capable colleague Azar Khunda, who many of you know. BSUG will be in safe hands as we work on our strategy for the future, new Exec members will be announced at the Annual General Meeting. Please let us know what you would like us to achieve for you as part of BSUG.

Please make the most of your BSUG membership, alongside discounts to meetings, and the audit database, you could get your unit accredited to help raise standards in urogynaecology or become a mentor for the mentorship programme to help others develop surgical skills, or join the robotics or sustainability groups – contact Amanda King aking@rcog.org.uk to see how you can contribute to BSUG. BSUG continues to provide a series of webinars, look out for future titles. If you have ideas for topics for future webinars please let us know. Equally, if you want to contribute to the website please contact us.

BSUG works hard in the national arena and has engaged as stakeholders on the following consultations. We often ask BSUG members to act as experts on these consultations. If you have the time and expertise please do get involved.

Recently updated guidance from NICE:

• Robot-assisted surgery for soft tissue procedures: early value assessment – BSUG was a registered stakeholder
• Intermittent urethral catheters for chronic incomplete bladder emptying in adults: late stage assessment – BSUG was a registered stakeholder
• Guide to technology appraisal and highly specialised technologies appeal process.
• BSUG was represented on the recent appraisal of Health Technology Wales Implantable tibial neuromodulation devices for treatment of urge urinary incontinence
• New UK Government legislation Post-market Surveillance for Medical Devices in Great Britain came into force on 16th June 2025

Our administrative team has changed recently and Stella Rafferty who has been a well-respected friend and colleague of BSUG has now left to take a well-earned retirement. Stella has been replaced by Isabelle Robinson, who comes with a wealth of experience of administration in membership organisations, she also has joined BMFMS, we welcome Isabelle to her new role and wish her well. You can meet her at the annual meeting. Amanda King continues to manage the Society and works to support the BSUG exec and the main BSUG work-streams and sub committees. We are grateful to them both for their help and support.

Save the dates and hope to see you there:

BSUG ASU 2025 20th and 21st November 2025

ARM and AGM 2025 Friday 21st November 2025

Once again, BSUG is reliant on its members and I thank you for your support of BSUG on behalf of the BSUG Exec Team.

Kind regards

Ashish
Mr Ashish Pradhan, Chair, BSUG