Two significant events in neuro practitioners’ calendars have been delayed until later in the year, as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt.
The National Paediatric Brain Injury Conference, which was already revised from an in-person to online event, will now not go ahead as planned in February due to the continuing demands on frontline healthcare professionals as COVID-19 cases continue to rise and the country is plunged back into lockdown.
The event, organised by The Children’s Trust, is now earmarked for May 13, although that is subject to further developments in the pandemic.
The ‘Connections and Collaborations’ conference is set to attract an international audience and will hear from an array of speakers from around the world, many of whom are global leaders in the field of paediatric neuro care.
Explaining the postponement, Dalton Leong, chief executive of The Children’s Trust, says: “Over the years, a high number of attendees are from the NHS, including consultants, doctors, surgeons, nurses, and therapists.
“We know that many of these staff are being redeployed to support the Covid pandemic.
“To run a conference at this time, taking them away from delivering vital frontline services, does not seem a sensible option. We look forward to holding the conference later in the year when, hopefully, these pressures have reduced.”
As well as the conference, the Neuro Convention too has been postponed, moving from March until September to enable delegates to attend in person.
The event, held at the Birmingham NEC, typically attracts around 3,000 people from across the country, and organisers hope that by delaying the date, it will give the best chance of lockdown and social distancing measures being lifted to allow them to go ahead.
In addition to the event planned for September 15 and 16 – although that too may be subject to change – an additional digital version of Neuro Convention is set to go ahead in March, enabling neuro professionals to still receive the insight and analysis planned for the NEC event in an online format.
Neuro Convention is hailed as being Europe’s only specialist trade event for brain and spine experts, and boasts an array of internationally-respected speakers and leaders in their field.
“We have been in consultation with various Government departments and whilst the rollout of the vaccine has given the country much needed optimism, we have been advised that we will be unable to host the Neuro Convention event in the spring,” say event organisers Roar B2B.
“The safety of our visitors, customers, partners and staff is paramount. We are confident that moving the event to September will enable us to run the safe, successful event the industry demands.
“To support our exhibitors, partners and the wider industry we are delighted to announce an additional digital version of Neuro Convention. This will provide a digital meeting place, world-class speaking sessions and access to the latest products and services.”
