Dear FOCUS,
In my mind, this year has flown by, but when I think back to our first event of the year, it seems like an age ago. Our first FOCUS of 2024 was the ABI presentation by Will Meredew, Jakob Strandgaard, and Alastair Ross on a range of pertinent topics, including the right to be forgotten, health working lives, terminal illness, access to health information for underwriting and claims, minimum standards for critical illness cover, and consumer duty. This informative session was a great way to kick-start the year, and we also took the opportunity to bid a fond farewell to John Parker, who retired from the industry this year. It was wonderful for him to see so many familiar faces come together to celebrate his dedication and contribution.
Later in the year, we were privileged to have Dr. Firas Al-Janabi, SCOR’s new Chief Medical Officer and Cardiologist, deliver a masterclass on vulnerable plaques, interventional cardiology, and renal denervation for resistant hypertension. Dr. Al-Janabi’s presentation was both engaging and enlightening, and I’m sure many of us took away valuable insights from his talk.
Finally, we wrapped up the year with a thought-provoking presentation by L&G’s Chief Medical Officer, Taran Gupta, on World Mental Health Day. As someone who has advised NICE on the ‘Depression in Adults: treatment and management’ guideline and served as Clinical Lead for Mental Health for the largest CCG in England, Dr. Gupta’s expertise was invaluable, and his talk was very well received and sparked many interesting discussions
As the year comes to a close, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful festive season. I hope you have a chance to relax, recharge, and spend quality time with loved ones.
Looking ahead to the New Year, we’re excited about our traditional Burns Night event on 23rd January, were we’ll be welcoming Dr. Penman, Consultant Gastroenterologist, who will provide an insightful look at claims and underwriting. It promises to be a fantastic evening, and I look forward to seeing you all there. You can book your places now, please get in touch with Jane Lyle (jane.lyle@royallondon.com)
The other big event next year is of course LUCID and we are proud to be able to sponsor a place at the conference and details of how to apply can be found on the website (www.focuscotland.co.uk) and our Education Officer, Nicola Steele (Nicola.Steele@royallondon.com) looks forward to hearing from you.
As it’s a Lucid year we will be putting on two events for the year and are booking a venue for the end in September 2025 and we’ll be sure to have an amazing exhibition to educate and stimulate our collective intellects!
Once again, thank you for your continued support and participation throughout the year. I’m grateful to be part of such a vibrant and engaged community, and I’m excited to see what the New Year brings.
Season’s greetings, and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2025!
Cheers
