ESCP President's Report

Abstract

The European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP) is the professional organization in Europe for prevention, treatment, education and research into colorectal disease. Over the course of 2018–19 it has been my privilege to serve as President and, hence, it is my duty to deliver the annual report. The end of my presidency is approaching, and it appears appropriate to take a minute to reflect on our society as it stands today. The ESCP Scientific & Annual Meeting in Nice 2018 was attributed the number 13, which is a good indicator that our society has now reached adolescence. A child is self-centred, dependent and, in some ways, irresponsible whereas an adult should have learnt the value of a good balance between humility and self-esteem, how to interact and the importance of decision-making. Despite the relative youth of ESCP, we have moved far from being an immature society and are rapidly approaching full adulthood. For a number of years, it has been the goal of the Executive to not only provide an excellent Annual Meeting but to also deliver a year-round service to its members. The cornerstones for building activities apart from the Annual Meeting consist of education, research and guidelines. The Education Committee tirelessly improves the educational offering of ESCP. Our society now offers a variety of fellow- and observer-ships, developed programmes for training and education in robotic as well as CME surgery and recently launched the European School of Coloproctology. In addition, ESCP has joined forces with the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) to further develop the educational platform CREST. The hugely successful ESCP cohort studies was introduced in 2015 and continues as several additional studies have been and are in the process of being launched. These ESCP studies serve many purposes. Firstly, they are scientifically sound and address clinically important issues aimed at changing clinical practice for the benefit of patients across not only Europe but world-wide. Secondly, these studies can offer opportunities for colorectal surgeons working in various contexts to engage and participate in studies and research. These individual surgeons are recognised in the published papers whereby contributions are credited. Thirdly, these studies greatly assist in creating an important network of coloproctologists across Europe and beyond. In a clinical situation, access to reliable and evidence-based guidance is crucial to be able to deliver optimal care for patients with colorectal diseases. The ESCP's Guidelines committee has gained pace and is now increasingly publishing relevant guidance of the highest quality. Several areas of coloproctology are now under evaluation and further information will be available shortly. Awareness of these developments in ESCP's cornerstones amongst both present and future members is necessary in order to exploit our full potential. The ESCP Communications committee continuously delivers valuable information through various channels of communication. Obviously, everything can be found on the ESCP web site but the app for mobile devices and social media may be more convenient for many members. In addition, the Membership committee will further develop the role of National and Regional representatives to facilitate dissemination of information and engagement in research and education. Awareness of ESCP's activities and opportunities to interact also occur at our Regional Events. In April 2019 an outstanding Regional Event took place in Turkey and this autumn we are organising a Regional Event in Wales, UK. ESCP is now looking at opportunities to deliver Regional Events outside of Europe as we believe they will eventually be of benefit for patients across the Globe. As ESCP is growing from young to mature, parts of the society must regenerate just as tissues regenerate in the body. The growing interest in the Young ESCP group and its very valuable contributions to all committees