Annual Friends’ Meeting Teleconference Information 19th March 2020

It is with regret that the Trustees of PRDA have decided to cancel the Annual Meeting in London but hold it as a teleconference instead on Thursday 19th March 2020 at 2pm.

This decision is due to the Coronavirus.

Instead, the teleconference will allow Dr Shameer Mehta, Consultant gastroenterologist at University College Hospital, London and Dr Helen Ludlow, Macmillan Nurse for late GI effects of Cancer Treatment at University Hospital in Llandough, to give their presentations.

Please see below for details on how to access the teleconference:

 

PRDA normally holds its Annual Friend’s Meeting as a social gathering but this year we have cancelled this due to Coronavirus. We are trialling holding the meeting by teleconference. We hope this will work well, but apologise if it does not.

If you are unfamiliar with teleconferences, this means a lot of people all being able to dial in to the same telephone call and hear others speak. We have provided detailed instructions below to help people who have never joined a teleconference before.

  • IMPORTANT: If you would like to join the teleconference, please be aware that this will incur telephone charges whether you use a landline or a mobile. You will be charged on top of any payment plan bundle minutes:
    • 5.8p + VAT per minute if dialling from a landline
    • 12.5p + VAT per minute if dialling from a mobile phone

  • We estimate that the call will last about 60 minutes  – this will cost about £4 from a landline or about £9 from a mobile. Hopefully this would be less than you would have paid in travel costs!

  • If you are dialling from an NHS institution, please double check that there is no restriction to you dialling an 0844 number.

Everyone can hear everyone else! Teleconferences are often interrupted by background noise (for example if you are typing on your computer or people are chatting in the same room as you). For everyone’s benefit, it is essential that you either mute your phone or make sure you are in a very quiet room. 

We will start the call promptly at 2.00pm, so please dial in as close to this time as possible.

 

At 2.00pm on Thursday 19th March, dial either

0844 473 73 73 from a landline or

87373 from a mobile
(if this number does not work then dial the landline number above)

Then when you are prompted to enter a PIN number after the code: enter 871191

You will NOT be prompted to say your name.

You will hear PRDA representatives speaking.

Please just listen – if you say anything this will interfere with the proceedings.

 

In order to get the most out of the talks, you will need to be looking at the presentation slides. Everyone who registered to attend the London meeting will be sent a PDF file in advance by email showing the presentation slides that Dr Helen Ludlow and Dr Shameer Mehta will use for their talks. Please open the PDF on your computer before you dial the teleconference number. When the presentations start, you will be told when to move from one page to next.

If you have not yet registered, please email info@prda.org.uk as soon as possible so that you are sent the PDF.

If you have any questions for the speakers, please do not say these out loud unless prompted. It is easier for us if you emailed sarah@prda.org.uk during the talks, and she will read out your questions at the end. If we have too many questions then we will aim to have answers posted on the PRDA website within about a week.

Apologies for all the instructions but we hope this is clear, and you enjoy the presentations! 

Agenda

2.00 pm  Richard Surman, PRDA Chairman Welcome and summary of PRDA’s progress in 2019.
2.15 pm Dr Shameer Mehta, Consultant Gastroenterologist at University College Hospital, London  Nutritional Factors in Pelvic Radiation Disease
2.35 pm Dr Helen Ludlow, Macmillan Nurse for Late Gastrointestinal Effects of Cancer Treatment at University College Hospital, Llandough, Cardiff People’s experiences of living with gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy
2.55 pm Richard Surman, PRDA Chairman Closing remarks

With sincere thanks to Dr Helen Ludlow and Dr Shameer Mehta for giving their time to speak at this year’s meeting.